Men’s Health: Vietnamese Pizza

 

This Crispy and Spicy Vietnamese Grilled “Pizza” Is Better Than Any American Chain Pie

Here’s how to make this Vietnamese street food at home

BY  KRISTY ALPERTAugust 1, 2016
Vietnamese Pizza

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK ALPERT

Unless you’re at some fancy-pants brick-oven place, face it: all pizzas are pretty much the same.

Yeah, you could throw some different toppings on the pie, but if you’re ordering from your local shop or, worse, a national chain, the flavors you taste aren’t all indistinguishable from pizzeria to pizzeria.
That’s why you need bánh tráng nuong in your life. This Vietnamese “pizza” is crispy, spicy, porky, and so simple to cook that it takes less time than ordering delivery.When I first encountered the meal, I was in Vietnam on a mission to eat as much street food as humanly possible. At first I snubbed the suggestion from a local guide to get some pizza for a snack, until I looked down and saw a petite woman grilling thin sheets of rice paper on a tin can filled with charcoal. She was armed with a bottle of Sriracha and a basket of quail eggs, scallions, pork, and red chiles, and she turned out little half circles of the Vietnamese snack by the minute.It’s a far cry from anything you’ll find at a pizzeria—and that’s a (really) good thing.

Bánh Tráng Nuong (a.k.a. Vietnamese Pizza)

What you’ll need:

  • 1 large sheet of round rice paper
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • 1 slice bacon, cooked crispy and curmbled
  • ½ tsp butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp fried shallots or chili flakes (optional)
  • 1 tsp sriracha

How to make it:
Heat your grill to medium-high. Place the rice paper directly on the grill, and add the scallion, bacon, and butter in the center. Crack the egg over the ingredients and use the back of a spoon to blend the mixture together, spreading it to cover the whole sheet of rice paper. Grill for one minute or until the egg sets. Top with fried shallots or chili flakes (optional), and grill until the rice paper is extra crisp. Drizzle with sriracha, fold the rice paper in half, and remove from grill with tongs. Serve hot, wrapped in a folded magazine page for authenticity. Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition per serving: 158 calories, 11g protein, 9g carbohydrates, 8g fat

by kristyalpert