By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up minorganmichael@yahoo.com
LEMONGRASS CHICKEN BANH MI
Visiting Viet Nam this was one of my favorite lunch time selections. It derives its popularity from Viet Nam’s french colonial period when the baguette was introduced into the Vietnamese kitchens. To this day you will find food hawkers selling fresh baguettes in the markets throughout the country every morning. The typical fillings are a layer of pate, roasted seasoned pork belly (or in this case chicken breast), fresh cucumber slices, pickled carrots and daikon raish, fresh cilantro sprigs, spicy mayonnaise, sliced chilies and a final drizzle of soy sauce.
This is a great dish for summer picnics and BBQ’s…….Enjoy!
original recipe courtesy of www.sprinklesandsauce.com
Ingredients
2 pounds of boneless chicken breast (cut into ¼ inch thick slices)
4-6 8 inch baguette rolls, sliced lengthwise in the centre
½ bunch cilantro leaves
5 jalapeno, deseeded and thinly sliced (optional)
pickled carrots and daikon
basil sriracha mayonaise
For the pork marinade:
½ cup minced lemongrass
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
5 shallots, peeled and minced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
For the basil sriracha mayo
: 1 cup of thai basil leaves
½ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon of salt
juice of half a small lemon
1 teaspoon of sriracha
Instructions For the pork:
Lay out your pork slices on your cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and lightly pound them with a mallet or with the back of a knife. In a bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients well. Add all your pork slices in a ziploc bag or container, pour marinade all over the pork and leave in the fridge for about 1-2 hours or overnight. Discard excess marinade before grilling. Soak a few bamboo skewers, if using wooden skewers, in water for at least 20 minutes. Skewer the pork slices using bamboo or metal skewers. Grill each skewer until the pork is nicely charred and meat is thoroughly cooked. Remove the pork slices from the skewer and set aside.
For the thai basil mayo:
Chop or tear your basil leaves. Combine the thai basil leaves, lemon juice, salt, sriracha and mayonnaise and mix until well combined.
To assemble the sandwich: Spread basil sriracha mayonnaise on one side of the baguette. Then add your grilled pork. Finish off with some pickled carrots and daikon and cilantro leaves. Serve whole or cut in half.
PICKLED CARROT AND DAIKON
INGREDIENTS:
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 pound daikons, each no larger than 2 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup lukewarm water
METHOD:
Place the carrot and daikons in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Use your hands to knead the vegetables for about 3 minutes, expelling the water from them. They will soften and liquid will pool at the bottom of the bowl. Stop kneading when you can bend a piece of daikon so that the ends touch but the daikon does not break. The vegetables should have lost about one-fourth of their volume. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water, then press gently to expel extra water. Return the vegetables to the bowl if you plan to eat them soon, or transfer them to a 1-quart jar for longer storage.
To make the brine, in a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, the vinegar, and the water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the vegetables. The brine should cover the vegetables. Let the vegetables marinate in the brine for at least 1 hour before eating. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
