Ingredients
Do chua (pickle)
- 200 gcarrot, cut into 5 mm batons
- 200 gdaikon, cut into 5 mm batons
- 1 tspfine salt
- 2 tbspcaster sugar
- 120 mlrice vinegar
- 120 mlwarm water
Bread
- 4Vietnamese baguettes, about 25 cm each, thin-crusted and hollow-crumbed
Fillings
- 120 gcoarse pork liver pate, at room temperature
- 4 tbspVietnamese mayonnaise (or 4 tbsp mayonnaise beaten with 1 egg yolk)
- 250 gcha lua (Vietnamese pork sausage), sliced 3 mm thick
- 150 gcold roast pork belly or thit nguoi cold cuts, thinly sliced
- ½cucumber, cut into long thin spears
- 2red bird’s eye chillies, sliced
- 1large handful coriander, stems and all
- 2 tspMaggi seasoning sauce or light soy sauce
- freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Toss the carrot and daikon with the salt and 1 tsp of the sugar, leave 15 minutes, then squeeze out the water in your hands until the batons bend without snapping; this is what keeps the pickle crunchy. Dissolve the remaining sugar in the warm water, add the vinegar, pour over the drained vegetables and leave at least 1 hour, or refrigerate up to 3 weeks.
- Spread the pate thickly on the bottom face and the mayonnaise on the top face; the fat layer waterproofs the bread against the pickle juice.
- Layer in the cha lua and the sliced pork, then the cucumber spears, then a generous fistful of drained pickle.
- Shake the Maggi over the filling, grind on plenty of black pepper, add the chilli and pile the coriander in whole sprigs.
Technique
- The bread is the dish. A real banh mi loaf carries rice flour and sometimes a little ascorbic acid, giving a thin brittle crust and an almost empty interior; a French baguette is too dense and too chewy and will fight the filling.
- Balance is the Vietnamese logic here: fatty pate and mayonnaise, sour pickle, hot chilli, fresh herb, salty Maggi. Drop any one and the sandwich reads flat.
- Squeeze the pickle vegetables dry before brining and again before filling. Wet pickle turns the crumb to paste within minutes.
Substitutions
- No cha lua: use a good mortadella, which is what Saigon shops themselves reach for. Vegetarians in Vietnam eat banh mi chay with fried tofu, soy pate and pickled vegetables.
Variations
- Banh mi thit nuong: grilled lemongrass pork instead of cold cuts.
- Banh mi xiu mai: soft pork meatballs in tomato sauce, a Da Lat and Saigon breakfast.
- Banh mi op la: fried eggs straight from the pan, eaten with the loaf torn and dipped.
History
French baguette lightened with rice flour and filled Vietnamese-style; the modern Saigon sandwich is credited to Hoa Ma, opened in 1958.
Frequently asked questions
What is Banh Mi?
Banh Mi is a street food from Vietnam: crackly baguette with pâté, cold cuts, pickled carrot and cilantro. French baguette lightened with rice flour and filled Vietnamese-style; the modern Saigon sandwich is credited to Hoa Ma, opened in 1958.
How long does Banh Mi take to make?
Banh Mi takes 30 min plus pickling of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 sandwiches. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Banh Mi?
Yes, within limits. No cha lua: use a good mortadella, which is what Saigon shops themselves reach for. Vegetarians in Vietnam eat banh mi chay with fried tofu, soy pate and pickled vegetables.
