Ryan Joy (atxryan)

It’d been a long while since I cooked something entirely new that I’d never before attempted, so last night as I left the office and the first pangs of hunger begun to be felt I got that familiar hankering to venture out and do something new. Walking toward the bus stop I pulled up CHOW.com, who’s mobile site is very well done, on my Blackjack and decided I’d go with the first main dish that I’d never before prepared.

That dish happened to be Wild Mushroom Bánh Xèo with Red Wine Reduction. Mmmm.

Bánh Xèo (bun see-oh) are crêpes á la Vietnam. While French crêpes usually bring to mind thin pancakes stuffed with ham & cheese or some sweet dessert drizzled in strawberry sauce, bánh xèo are actually eggless and predate the French Colonial period in Vietnam.

HEB didn’t exactly have the mushrooms for which the original recipe called. In fact, HEB didn’t have even one. So, I decided that this would no longer be CHOW.com’s recipe, but my own.

Ingredients:

For the wild mushroom filling:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 shallot or small red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut into 1/4-in. pieces
• 1/4 pound oyster mushrooms, cleaned and cut into 1/4-in. pieces
• 1/4 pound shitake mushrooms, cleaned and cut into 1/4-in. pieces
• 1 large portobella mushroom cap, cleaned and cut into 1/4-in. slices
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the Pinot Noir reduction:

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 cup Pinot Noir
• 10 tablespoons butter, diced and kept cold
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the crêpes:

• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Three smidgens of turmeric
• Two smidgens each of paprika and cayenne
• One smidgen of ginger and cumin
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 pound radish sprouts

Instructions:

For the mushrooms:

1. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil. Add the shallot and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender but not colored, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cremini, oyster, and shitake mushrooms. Sauté until golden brown and tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sugar and continue cooking until the soy sauce is almost completely reduced. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
2. Using the same or a different pan, saute the portobello strips.

For the Pinot Noir reduction:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the shallot and the wine. Cook until the liquid is reduced to a syrup. Reduce the heat to low. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking to incorporate each addition before adding more. Work the pan on and off the heat to regulate the temperature so that it does not become too hot. Keep warm.

For the crêpes:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, granulated sugar, curry powder, green onions, coconut milk and water.
2. Heat a 8-inch, non-stick pan over medium heat. For each crêpe, spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1/4 of the cooked mushroom filling. Without removing the mushrooms, pour in between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of the crêpe batter. Quickly tilt the pan in all directions to allow the batter to completely cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Uncover and check for doneness. The crêpe should pull away from the sides of the pan, be well-browned and lacy on the bottom, and look a bit dry on the top.
4. Place 1/4 of the radish sprouts and 2 slices of portobello on top. Fold the crêpe over and serve drizzled with the wine sauce immediately.

This dish was one of the most satisfying meals I’ve cooked in a while, simply because it satisfied all the right criteria. It’s presentation was nice. I would have been pleased to order this in a restaurant. It is hot and cold, crispy and chewy, raw and cooked, and wonderfully earthy and fragrant with green onions and turmeric. It had great texture with the soft, yielding mushrooms coupled with the satisfying bread-y wrap and fresh crunch of the radish sprouts. This sexy dish is definitely a keeper.