The southern cousin to bánh cuốn hà nội. Same frying pan method, chewier sheet, heartier filling, brighter sauce, and a more generous herb plate.
Bánh cuốn Sài Gòn, frying pan method
Prep 30 mins · Cook 1 to 1 1/2 hrs · Total 4 to 5 hrs (incl. 2 hrs batter rest) · Servings 4 to 6 · Difficulty Advanced
For about 18 to 22 rolls, finished weight 36 to 42 g per roll
Batter
16 oz (450 g) Erawan blue label rice flour
5 oz (140 g) Erawan tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
7 to 7 1/2 cups cold water
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
Filling
1 lb ground pork, 80/20 lean to fat
1 cup wood ear mushrooms, soaked 20 to 30 minutes in cold water, drained, squeezed dry, finely chopped
2 tbsp dried shrimp, small grade, rinsed, soaked 15 minutes in warm water, drained, squeezed dry, finely chopped
3 medium shallots (about 3 oz total), finely diced
1/2 medium yellow onion (about 4 oz), finely diced
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce, Red Boat 40°N or Megachef premium
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp lard or rendered pork fat
1 tsp shallot oil
Nước chấm
1/4 cup fish sauce, Red Boat 40°N or Megachef premium
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 tbsp fresh-squeezed Persian lime juice
1 tsp Marukan rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 to 2 bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced
1 tbsp finely shredded carrot, optional Southern flourish
Accompaniments
6 to 8 oz fresh chả lụa from the refrigerator section, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
4 to 6 oz nem chua, sliced, optional but very Saigon
2 tbsp fried shallots, golden not browned
2 cups bean sprouts, lightly steamed or microwaved covered for about 1 minute
1 small Persian cucumber, thinly julienned
A generous handful each of mint, cilantro, Thai basil, and rau răm. The Southern plate is herb-forward.
Make the batter
Whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, and salt in a large bowl until uniform.
Pour in 7 cups cold water gradually while whisking until smooth, no lumps. Cold water beats warm here, the starch hydrates without clumping.
Stir in the grapeseed oil.
Cover and rest in the fridge at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
After resting, strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Check consistency, slightly heavier than heavy cream is the target, the extra tapioca makes the chewier sheet. Add up to 1/2 cup more cold water as needed.
Stir thoroughly before cooking and again before every sheet, the starch settles.
Fry the shallots if homemade
Thinly slice 4 medium shallots and fry in 1/2 cup grapeseed oil over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes.
Lift the shallots out with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve both the fried shallots and the shallot oil. They keep 1 week refrigerated.
Make the filling
Heat the lard or rendered pork fat in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat.
Add the diced shallots and onion and cook 3 to 4 minutes until softened and lightly golden at the edges.
Add the pork and cook, breaking it up finely with the spatula edge until no large clumps remain.
Add the wood ear, dried shrimp, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Cook 5 to 7 minutes until fully cooked and dry, no liquid pooling in the pan. The southern filling carries more residual moisture from the onion, cook 1 to 2 minutes longer than the Hà Nội version.
Off heat, stir in the shallot oil and let cool slightly. The filling holds 2 days refrigerated.
Make the nước chấm
Stir the fish sauce, sugar, warm water, lime juice, and rice vinegar together until the sugar fully dissolves.
Add the garlic, chili, and shredded carrot if using.
Set aside. Improves after 30 minutes as the garlic softens and the carrot lightly pickles.
Prepare the accompaniments
Slice the chả lụa and nem chua into 1/4-inch coins.
Lightly steam the bean sprouts.
Julienne the cucumber.
Wash and dry the herbs thoroughly. Pile generously, the southern plate is built on the herb pile.
Cook the sheets
Heat a 10-inch nonstick frying pan over medium to medium-low until water flicked on the surface dances and evaporates within 2 to 3 seconds.
Brush the pan lightly with grapeseed oil using a folded paper towel. Re-oil every 2 to 3 sheets on a good nonstick.
Stir the batter, pour in a generous 1/4 cup, slightly more than Hà Nội for the thicker sheet. Swirl immediately by tilting the pan with slightly more pressure than the Hà Nội swirl, into an even sheet about 9 inches across. The chewier batter resists the swirl, commit to it.
Cover with the lid and cook 60 to 75 seconds until the sheet turns fully translucent and the surface looks set, not wet. Do not let it brown.
Lift and roll
Lightly oil a metal sheet pan or marble slab with shallot oil.
Slide the sheet onto the surface using an oiled offset silicone spatula or pastry scraper.
Spread 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp filling in a line across one edge, not a clump, leaving a 1/2-inch border at each end.
Roll gently and evenly, the Sài Gòn roll can be a touch thicker, about 4 1/2 inches long.
Stack the finished rolls in a single layer, brushing each with a little shallot oil to prevent sticking. Let each cool 30 seconds before stacking, hot rolls steam each other and the sheet turns gummy.
Repeat with the remaining batter.
Finish and serve
Arrange the bánh cuốn on a serving platter.
Top generously with fried shallots and a small dust of freshly ground white pepper.
Serve with sliced chả lụa, nem chua, bean sprouts, cucumber, the full herb plate, and nước chấm on the side.
Notes
Same method, louder house
The Sài Gòn version uses the same frying pan technique as Hà Nội. The lifts are in the batter ratio, the filling, the sauce, and the herb plate.
Sheet is chewier and slightly thicker
The extra tapioca (5 oz vs 3 1/2 oz for Hà Nội) does that work. The trade is body for delicacy, which is the whole southern register.
Onion plus shallot is fine here
The heartier filling stands up to the heavier sheet. Hà Nội cannot carry the onion, Sài Gòn can.
Nước chấm leans brighter
More lime, a touch of vinegar, more chili. This is the southern palate. Optional shredded carrot is the Saigon flourish.
Herbs are generous, not optional
The southern plate is built on the herb pile. Mint, cilantro, Thai basil, and rau răm together are the canon. A bare plate reads stingy.
Nem chua alongside chả lụa
The move that distinguishes a Sài Gòn plate from a Hà Nội one. Sour-fermented pork against silky steamed pork is the whole textural argument of the southern plate.
Commit to the swirl
The chewier batter resists the tilt. A timid swirl gives uneven thickness. Pour and tilt in one continuous motion, then stop. Do not chase the edges with a second tilt, the sheet sets.
Pan oiled too often
Greasy sheets will not roll. Once every 2 to 3 sheets is plenty.
Lift sheets with an oiled tool
Never bare hands, the sheet tears. Oiled offset silicone spatula or pastry scraper is the right tool.
Cool 30 seconds before stacking
Hot rolls steam each other and the sheet turns gummy. A short rest preserves the texture.
Make-ahead
Filling holds 2 days refrigerated. Batter holds 24 hours after the rest, stir hard before using. Finished rolls do not hold, eat within an hour of rolling.
