Destination
Hue
The story
Bánh bèo is the third member of the Hue small-plates trio (with bánh bột lọc and bánh nậm) and arguably the most beloved. Small concave steamed rice cakes about 5cm across are traditionally cooked in tiny individual porcelain saucers stacked in a steamer basket. Each cake is topped with a small mound of ground dried shrimp (or crispy pork rind, tôm cháy), a scatter of crispy fried garlic and spring onion oil, then finished with a splash of light fish sauce right before eating. The classical Hue serving is 12 to 20 saucers per person, all set out on a tray. Sold at every Hue market and at Hue-cuisine restaurants across Vietnam.
Method
Whisk rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, water and oil until smooth. Rest 30 minutes.
Blitz drained dried shrimp in a food processor to a coarse floss. Warm oil in a small pan. Cook shallots and garlic 2 minutes. Add ground shrimp, sugar and salt. Toss over low heat for 10 minutes until dry, fluffy and pale orange. Reserve.
Warm 3 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and cook 3 minutes until pale gold. Drain on paper.
Warm 3 tbsp oil until just smoking. Pour hot oil over sliced spring onions in a heatproof bowl. Add salt.
Whisk all sauce ingredients until sugar dissolves.
Lightly oil each porcelain saucer or ramekin. Arrange in a wide steamer basket.
Give the batter a stir. Pour about 1 tbsp of batter into each saucer, filling to just below the rim. Place the basket over vigorously simmering water. Steam 8 to 10 minutes until the batter has set into a soft, glossy cake with a slight dimple in the middle.
Working while the cakes are hot: top each saucer with a small pinch of dried shrimp topping, a slice of fried garlic and a drizzle of scallion oil. Bring the tray to the table. Diners drizzle a small amount of dipping sauce onto each saucer and eat with a small spoon.
Tips
- Small porcelain saucers. The classical Hue serving vessel. Any Vietnamese kitchenware shop sells them; small ramekins work as substitute.
- Do not overfill. Fill just below the rim; the classical dimple forms as the batter sets around the edge.
- Dried shrimp topping. Also called tôm cháy. Make it a day ahead; it keeps a week in a sealed jar.
- Serve warm. Best within 30 minutes of steaming.
- Twelve to twenty saucers per person. Do not underestimate; these are small.
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