Destination
Hue
The story
Bánh ép (literally pressed cake) is a Hue-specific street snack made on a specific double-plate cast-iron press that clamps hot from above and below. A small round of tapioca-and-rice-flour dough is placed on the hot bottom plate. A raw egg is cracked over. A few slices of char siu pork, a scatter of dried shrimp, some sliced spring onion, and fresh herbs are added. The top plate is slammed down hard for 60 seconds. When the press opens, the resulting sheet is a thin pancake bonded together with the egg, cooked all the way through, crispy on the outside. The eater folds it in half like a taco and dips in sweet chili sauce or fish sauce.
Method
Whisk tapioca starch, rice flour and salt. Pour boiling water while stirring vigorously. Add oil. Knead 3 minutes by hand until stretchy and slightly sticky. Rest 20 minutes.
Divide dough into 16 balls, each about 25g. Cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.
Chop char siu pork very small. Drain dried shrimp. Chop herbs coarsely. Beat 4 of the eggs (use whole eggs for the rest as crack-and-drop).
Warm a very heavy cast-iron pan (or a panini press) to the highest heat. If using a pan, have another heavy flat-bottom pan or a heavy chopping board wrapped in foil ready as a weight.
Brush the hot pan lightly with oil. Place a dough ball on the pan; press hard with the second hot pan or weight for 20 seconds. Open. Crack a whole egg (or spoon a bit of beaten egg) onto the flattened round. Add 1 tsp of chopped char siu, 1 tsp of drained dried shrimp, a pinch of spring onion, a small handful of herbs. Slam the second pan/press down hard for 60 seconds.
Open the press. Use a spatula to fold the finished bánh ép in half over the fillings, like a taco. Slide onto a plate.
Repeat for all 16 pieces. Work fast; heat drops if you pause too long.
Serve 2 to 3 pieces per person on a plate with green mango, cucumber and lettuce alongside. Dipping sauces in small bowls. Eat with hands.
Tips
- Very high heat. Non-negotiable. Low heat gives you a limp pancake.
- Press hard. The whole point is the compression. A light press does not give the classical crispy thin sheet.
- Work fast. Bánh ép are best served straight off the press. Do not batch and hold.
- Panini press is a fine substitute if you cannot find a bánh ép press.
- Fillings small. Big filling pieces prevent the top plate from bonding to the dough.
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