Ingredients
Pancake
1 cup raw bean sprouts
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of raw shrimp, sliced roasted pork, sliced zucchini, or a mix
3/4 cup instant pancake mix (I like Birch Bender's brand)
2-3 tsp Curcumade
Coconut oil and/or butter for frying
Hạ Long Bay Dressing (Vietnamese Thousand Island)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp ketchup
4-6 tsp tương ớt tỏi (garlic chili paste)
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce (sub lime juice and a bit of salt, or umeboshi vinegar, if you don't eat fish)
1 Tbsp minced shallot or red onion
2-3 tsp minced jalapeño pepper
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro leaf
Salt and sugar to taste
Directions
Make the sauce in advance by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together until well combined, taste and adjust seasoning and proportions to your tastes (more chili paste, etc). Will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator.
In a 10-inch skillet heat the butter or oil over medium high heat, add the vegetables and/or meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned in spots (about 5-6 minutes). If using shrimp add them just at the end so they don't overcook.
Mix the pancake mix with the curcumade, then add water until you form a runny batter (I find about 2/3 cup is right amount). Add the batter to your vegetables in the pan, mix gently to distribute, and cook until browned and set on one side (about 4-5 minutes).
Heat butter or oil in another 10-inch (or larger) skillet and flip the pancake into this pan to cook the other side. I like using Spanish tortilla pans for this dish and many others, but you can use any pans. The pancake should be done after another 4-5 minutes of cooking. You can always do another minute or two on each side if you like it more browned.
Remove to a plate or cutting board and serve with the sauce and optionally a salad of fresh herbs (cilantro, Thai basil, scallions, lettuces, dressed simply with lime juice and a bit of chili flake like Aleppo).
Recipe Note
Variations & Ideas:
Flavor Boosts
• Add a teaspoon of Siam N32 to the batter for a bright and refreshing note.
• Add a bit of soffritto to the pancake batter to add depth.
• Make the dressing with some Tomato & White Sultana Chutney instead of ketchup for a richer flavor.
• You can try playing with the spices and fillings:
- sliced onions, cooked bacon or ham pieces, and apple. Cook in butter. Lula N41 in the batter. Top with gruyere and broil to melt. Great with a bit of honey also.
- chopped kimchi, scallions, and optionally sliced zucchini. Cook in oil or butter. Hanguk in the batter. Serve with ginger, vinegar, and soy sauce. Here's a more in-depth recipe for these using flour and water.
- spinach, onion, and optionally cooked chickpeas. Cook in ghee or oil. Vadouvan and crumbled feta in the batter. Serve with raita and/or mint chutney.
• If you are making this on a cool morning and/or for a crowd, you can fry just the filling, then add it to mini muffin cups and mix with batter (fill about halfway) and bake them in the oven. It's fun to also put a small piece of cheese in the center so that it melts. I find that about 8 minutes at 400° is sufficient to cook them through, and you can always broil them briefly to get a bit more browning on top.
Questions? Contact christian@laboiteny.com
