Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crêpes With Prawns And Pork Belly) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2/3 lb pork belly, without rind
2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar + a pinch
1 tbsp oil
20-25 None raw prawns, headless and peeled
9 oz rice flour
1 tsp turmeric
1 2/3 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup sparkling water
2 None scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fish sauce
2-3 tsp lime juice
1 None red chili pepper, seeded and sliced
2-3 tbsp oil
1 lb bean sprouts
6 stalks mixed Asian herbs (such as coriander, Thai Mint, Thai basil)

Preparation

For the filling: rub the pork belly all over with 1/2 tsp of salt and a pinch of sugar. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours. Then preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Put the pork belly with the fat facing up in an Dutch oven and bake for 1 hour in the oven. Then turn the temperature down to 250\u00b0F and cook it for 1 more hour. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly. Wrap the pork tightly in foil and chill it for 2-3 hours in the fridge.
Slice the cold pork thinly. Heat the oil in a wok or a large skillet and fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes. Season them to taste and leave them to cool.
For the crepes: mix the rice flour with about 1 tsp of salt and the turmeric. Whisk with the coconut milk, then stir in the sparkling water. Pour the batter through a fine sieve and stir in the scallions. Refrigerate it for 1 hour. For the dip: warm the fish sauce slightly in a saucepan and dissolve the 3/4 cup of sugar in it. Let it cool and stir in the lime juice and chili.
Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan with a lid (approx. 11 inch diameter). Pour 1 ladle full of the batter into the pan so that it's fully coated. Put 4-5 prawns and 5-6 pork belly slices on the batter and put a handful of beansprouts on one side. Put the lid on and cook it 3-4 mins. When the crepe is golden, fold it over and keep it warm on a plate, while you repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients. Serve the crepes sprinkled with herbs with the dip on the side.