Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich)
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
This fabulous Vietnamese east-meets-west baguette, filled with various meats and pickled vegetables, has become very popular over the last decade or so. In Vietnam pickling is a way of preserving large crops of vegetables for future use. They are often eaten as a cheap accompaniment with a glass of beer, served as a side dish with grilled meats and congee or stuffed into sandwiches and baguettes. Make sure to prepare the pickled vegetables the day before.
Ingredients
- Vietnamese-style baguettes 2
- mayonnaise or Dijonnaise 4 tablespoons, or to taste
- Vietnamese-style pork roll or ham 8 thin slices
- roast pork 8 thin slices
- pickled vegetables (see below)
- fresh coriander sprigs 4
- green onions (shallots) 2, thinly sliced (optional)
- Chilli oil or finely sliced red chillies (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper
- white wine vinegar 250ml (1 cup)
- sugar 1 cup
- salt 2 teaspoons
- cucumber 1 small, washed
- lemon 1/4, finely sliced
- carrot 1 small, peeled and shredded
- daikon (white radish) 1 small, shredded
Slice the baguettes open along the top to form a pocket for the filling. Spread on both sides with the mayonnaise or Dijonnaise. Fill with the pork roll, roast pork, pickled vegetables, coriander sprigs and green onions. Season with pepper and sprinkle with a little chilli oil. Serve immediately. For the Pickled Vegetables: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar with the sugar and salt and bring to a boil. When sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and leave to cool. Slice the cucumber into fine long shreds (a mandoline is useful to shred the vegetables). Place in a bowl together with the lemon, carrot and daikon. Pour over the cooled liquid and leave for at least three hours. Drain the brine from the pickles before using and pat the vegetables dry with paper towels. Tip: you can substitute shredded chicken or turkey for the pork roll or roast pork.