Bánh tráng nướng

Ingredients

• 4 sheets round Vietnamese rice paper wrappers for bánh tráng
• 12 pieces fresh quail eggs
• 80 g Vietnamese liver pate
• 35 g peeled dried shrimp
• 1 bunch fresh scallions
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil
• 25 g Vietnamese fried shallots
• 30 g Vietnamese dried shredded pork floss (ruốc)
• 4 tbsp sweet Vietnamese chili sauce
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise in a squeeze bottle
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 1 pinch ground white pepper

Method

1. Prepare the dried shrimp: rinse them quickly, drain, and cover with hot water at 175 °F (80 °C) for 10 minutes until softened. Drain very thoroughly, then coarsely chop or pound them into salty flakes that spread evenly without making the rice paper soggy.
2. Prepare the scallion oil: thinly slice the scallions. Warm the sunflower oil over low heat for 2 minutes until it reaches about 265 °F (130 °C), shimmering gently without smoking. Pour over the scallions with the salt and stir well. The scallions should turn glossy, fragrant, and tender without browning.
3. Set up your station: arrange the rice paper sheets, quail eggs, pate, dried shrimp, scallion oil, fried shallots, pork floss, chili sauce, and mayonnaise right by the stove. Bánh tráng nướng must be assembled quickly before the wrapper warps or burns.
4. Preheat a heavy skillet, crepe pan, or griddle over medium-low heat (about 300 °F / 150 °C) for 3 minutes. The heat should be gentle enough to dry and toast the rice paper without scorching: a small test crumb should turn crisp on contact, not blacken immediately.
5. Place a dry rice paper sheet directly in the dry pan without soaking it. Rotate it gently with chopsticks or a spatula for 30 seconds to distribute the heat evenly. The edges will begin to curl slightly and the surface will turn opaque and whitish.
6. Immediately crack the quail eggs right onto the rice paper. Rapidly spread them into a thin, even layer using the back of a spoon for 30 seconds, bringing the egg all the way to the edges without spilling over. The egg will begin to set while staying glossy and tacky.
7. Dot small pieces of pate over the still-moist egg, pressing down gently so they melt and blend into the surface. Continue cooking for 30 seconds over medium-low heat until the pate warms through and looks glossy.
8. Scatter the dried shrimp over the top right away and drizzle with the scallion oil. Keep rotating the rice paper in place for 45 seconds. You should hear a steady, dry crackle from underneath as the egg finishes setting.
9. Add the pork floss and fried shallots. Press down very lightly with the spatula for 30 seconds to anchor the toppings into the egg. The underside of the rice paper should be golden, rigid, and completely crisp to the touch.
10. Finish with zigzags of chili sauce and mayonnaise, and dust with a pinch of ground white pepper. Let warm for another 15 to 20 seconds, just enough to take the chill off the sauces without softening the crisp crust.
11. Let rest off the heat for 15 seconds so the crisp texture sets, then fold into a half-moon or serve flat immediately. Repeat with the remaining rice paper sheets (allow about 3 minutes of cooking time per piece).

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

1198.2 kcal

Protein

51.58 g

Carbohydrate

28.42 g

Fat

98.32 g

Fibre

0.93 g

Calcium

29.89 mg

Iron

3.44 mg

Magnesium

54.28 mg