BATTER
4 1/4 ounces white rice flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 cup tepid water mixed with 3/4 cup freshly boiled water (rest boiled water 1 minute and then measure), plus more water as needed
1/3 cup full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk (shake or stir before using)
FILLING
10 ounces pork, beef, or chicken, roughly chopped to loosen
8 ounces small shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 medium white mushrooms or fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, stems included
1/2 small red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
Fine sea salt
3 cups bean sprouts
Canola or other neutral oil for cooking
Leaves from 1 large head soft-leaf lettuce (such as butter, Boston, or red or green leaf)
1 small handful mint, basil, or other soft-leaf fresh herbs (except cilantro)
1 small handful cilantro
1 cup Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce
To make the batter In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and turmeric. Whisk in the water and then the coconut milk. Let the yellow batter sit, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, to thicken to the consistency of half-and-half (it will be slightly gritty from the flour). Whisk in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin out the batter, if needed (when I have to add water, it’s usually no more than 1 tablespoon). The batter may be made up to 2 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before using.
To prep the filling In order to cook efficiently with less mess, pre-portion the filling components. Divide the pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and onion onto six small pieces of parchment paper, creating a pile of goodies for each crepe. Sprinkle each portion with a pinch of salt. Set on a tray or baking sheet and keep near the stove with the batter and bean sprouts.
Place a large cooling rack on a baking sheet for the cooked crepes. Preheat the oven to Warm or to its lowest setting.
To fry the crepes In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 to 3 teaspoons of the canola oil. When the oil is very hot and shimmering, add a portion of filling and stir-fry for 45 seconds, breaking up the meat with a spatula until it no longer looks raw; the mushrooms will probably look moist. Make a line down the middle to divide the ingredients into two half-circles; this will ensure the crepe later folds over easily. Lower the heat slightly if you feel things are out of control; you can always turn it up later!
Stir the batter vigorously with a ladle until there is no more drag, sludge, or separation. Scoop up about ⅓ cup batter and pour into the skillet, distributing it around the filling. Pick up the skillet and swirl the batter to coat the bottom (and maybe run up the sides); the batter should set around the filling and form a handsome round. If needed, add more batter to quickly fill in empty spots. (If the batter didn’t sizzle and bubble upon contact, the skillet wasn’t hot enough. If it did bubble but was hard to swirl around, lower the heat or thin out the batter with water, or do both. Making these crepes is akin to making pancakes: adjust as you go.)
Pile about 3/4 cup bean sprouts on one side of the skillet, lower the heat slightly, and cover the pan with a lid to steam; if it’s a tight fit, slide the lid so it’s ajar to allow a bit of venting. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bean sprouts soften slightly, then uncover the pan and drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons oil around the rim. Lower the heat again (I’m typically at medium at this point) to gently fry and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. When the crepe is golden brown at the edge, use a spatula to peek underneath. Is it mostly crisp from the rim to the center? If not, fry a little longer; and if needed, add oil and raise the heat. Be patient. When you’re satisfied, slide a spatula under one side and lift to fold the crepe over. No big deal if it breaks in the center.
Slide the finished crepe onto the prepared rack and hold in the oven, or if serving immediately, transfer to a dinner plate. Rewarm the skillet over medium-high heat and repeat the whole process to make another five crepes. If at any time the batter feels too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin it out. If you have two medium skillets, use both like a pro to speed things up.
Serve the crepes with the lettuce, herbs, cilantro, and dipping sauce. Pass around one or two pairs of kitchen scissors to cut the crepes into manageable pieces. To eat, tear a piece of lettuce roughly the size of your palm, place a piece of the crepe on it, and add a few herb leaves. Fold into a bundle and dunk into the dipping sauce.
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