Swallow's nest crisps (banh tai yen)
Banh tai yen is a fried specialty of the Mekong Delta, shaped like a swallow's nest with a thick, chewy center and thin, lacy edges that fan out around it. Made with rice flour, coconut milk and sugar, the crisps are crunchy at the rim and rich, sweet and nutty with sesame, and they always show up at Lunar New Year and weddings.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rising or chilling
- 8 hr
- Total time
- 9 hr
- Method
- Fried
Ingredients
Batter
Frying oil
Instructions
Step 1
Put 150 g granulated sugar, a pinch salt and 220 g coconut milk in a bowl and stir until the sugar has almost completely dissolved. Dissolving the sugar first gives a smoother batter and crisps that fry evenly without dark burnt spots. The mixture is ready when you no longer feel sugar grains on the bottom of the bowl.
Step 2
Sift 200 g rice flour and 30 g glutinous rice flour into the coconut milk, crack in 50 g eggs and whisk until the batter comes together, then stir in 10 g white sesame seeds. The egg keeps the center soft and airy, while a little glutinous rice flour adds a gentle chew. The batter is ready when it is as thick as drinkable yogurt, smooth and free of lumps.
Step 3
Cover the bowl tightly and let the batter rest at room temperature for about eight hours or overnight. The long rest lets the rice flour fully absorb the liquid and ferment very slightly, which helps the crisps spread into pretty lace in the oil. The batter is ready when a few tiny bubbles appear on the surface and it stirs up silky smooth.
Step 4
Pour oil for deep-frying (to taste) into a small, deep pan and heat it over medium heat to about 170°C. A small, deep pan makes the batter draw in at the center as soon as it hits the oil, giving the curved nest shape. The oil is ready when a drop of batter sizzles evenly and floats up after two seconds.
Step 5
Stir the batter again, scoop up a small ladleful and pour it from about twenty centimeters above the center of the pan, fry for about three minutes, then flip and fry a little longer. Pouring from a height makes the batter spread into thin, lacy threads around a thick core. The crisps are done when the edges are golden brown and crisp and the center is pale golden and slightly puffed.
Step 6
Lift out the crisps, stand them on their sides on a rack lined with paper towels and let them cool completely before packing them into a container. Standing them up lets all the oil drain off so they stay crisp longer. They are ready when cool, with edges that shatter when snapped and a center that is still slightly chewy.
Equipment
- Deep skillet
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Sieve
- Thermometer
- Wire cooling rack
- Kitchen scale
- Plastic wrap
Tips
- If the batter is too thick it will not form lacy edges, so add coconut milk a spoonful at a time until it pours in a thin stream.
- Keep the oil temperature steady and fry only one crisp at a time so each has room to spread out.
- You can replace part of the granulated sugar with palm sugar for a deep amber color and a richer flavor.
Storage
Once completely cool, keep the crisps in an airtight container or zip-top bag in a dry place for about a week. If they soften, bake them again at 150°C for about five minutes and they will crisp right back up.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The crisps do not spread into lace and set into a round lump instead.
- The batter is too thick or the oil is not hot enough. Thin the batter with a little more liquid, wait until the oil reaches temperature, then pour from a height.
- The crisps are dark outside but still wet in the middle.
- The heat is too high or each ladleful holds too much batter. Lower the heat to medium and use less batter for each crisp.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
