Banh mi
Crisp Vietnamese baguettes filled with lemongrass pork, liver pâté, quick-pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, chili and coriander.
Method
- 1
Stir the sugar, vinegar, salt and warm water together until dissolved, then pour over the carrot and daikon in a jar.
- 2
Leave to pickle at room temperature until the vegetables are pliable and taste sweet and sour.
- 3
Meanwhile, mix the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, fish sauce, brown sugar, oil and pepper in a bowl.
- 4
Add the pork and massage the marinade in well, then cover and leave for at least 30 minutes.
- 5
Heat the oven to 180°C and heat a griddle pan over high heat until it smokes.
- 6
Grill the pork in batches, without crowding the pan, until caramelised and charred at the edges and cooked through.
- 7
Warm the baguettes in the oven until the crust is crisp and crackly.
- 8
Split each baguette lengthwise without cutting all the way through and pull out a little of the soft crumb.
- 9
Spread one cut side with mayonnaise and the other with pâté, then sprinkle a few drops of soy sauce over the inside.
- 10
Fill with the pork, the drained pickles, cucumber, chili and sprigs of coriander, and serve straight away.
Notes
- The pickles keep for 2 weeks in the fridge and taste better after a day.
- Choose light baguettes with a thin, crackly crust. A dense, chewy loaf overwhelms the filling.
Equipment
Griddle pan or grill, Mixing bowls, Large jar, Bread knife, Baking tray