Banh Mi Sandwiches

Banh Mi is the classic Vietnamese street food sandwich served on a baguette with mayonaisse (influenced by the colonial French occupation of Viet Nam). I pass through the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport frequently as my connecting airport and if I have time to grab a quick lunch before my next flight, I go to The Banh Shop in Terminal D by Gate 31. They make the best Banh Mi sandwiches with a grilled chicken meatball filling. I decided to see if I could duplicate their Banh Mi and I must say, it's pretty close. Here are my step by step directions and ingredients. This is a fun sandwich to prepare in advance when you have guests. You can even get small buns and turn them into Banh Mi sliders!

Banh Mi Chicken Meatball Sandwich

First, get your veggies ready (and use a slicing mandoline if you have one):

daikon radish
carrots
bunch of cilantro
1/2 red onion (optional)
cucumber (preferably Asian or English cucs or young cuc's that are not seedy)
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c water
1/4 tsp salt

1. Daikon radishes are those huge white radishes in the Asian section. Cut about a handful of matchstick pieces about 3 inches long.
2.  Cut about 3 carrots into matchstick size pieces, same size and amount as the daikon.
3. Heat the water to dissolve the sugar. Add the vinegar and salt. Stir and pour over the daikon and carrot. This will make a sweet pickle. You can do this an hour before or even the day before (and they keep for about a week in the fridge).
4. Make paper thin slices of red onion.
5. Make long, paper thin slices of cucumber. I use a slicing mandoline on the #2 setting.

Chicken Filling:

1 lb ground chicken
2 T minced fresh ginger
1 T minced fresh garlic
1/4 c minced cilantro
1/4 c minced green scallion
1 egg
2 T sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
Sweet Indonesian soy sauce (or any other Asian glaze you prefer)

1. Beat the egg into a bowl.
2. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and mix
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix all together thoroughly.

Meatballs or loaf?

I prefer to make my chicken mixture into a long loaf which I can then slice on the bias for my meat filling. If you would rather make meatballs, you can do so, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. The chicken mixture is pretty wet and hard to shape so I mix it all up and then spread it out on a sheet of wax paper so its sort of log shaped. I use the wax paper to press it together and roll it into a nicely shaped log about 2 inches wide.

I then put it in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm it up. When I take it out, I unwrap the wax paper and can easily roll the log onto a baking sheet so it keeps its shape.

I then baste it with sweet Indonesian soy sauce. You usually have to get this in an Asian market and it is so worth it. I use it a lot in Asian cooking. It is thick like molasses and comes in a tall bottle. You can find many different brands in Asian markets.  I like the ABC sweet soy sauce. If you don't have it, make any type of soy or sweet Asian glaze. Pop the log into a 400 degree oven and bake for about 35 minutes. Remove and baste again with the glaze and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until nicely browned on the outside. Remove from oven, let cool, and slice on a diagonal to make the banh mi meat filling.

Assembling the Banh Mi:

1. Use small French rolls or cut a baguette.
2. Slice through the top of the roll, open up, and scoop half of the bread out.
3. Spread mayo on the roll if you wish or make a mayo aioli. I buy sriracha mayo in the Asian market as I like a bit of heat on my sandwich.
4. Line the bottom of the roll with cucumber slices.
5. Top with the slices of chicken loaf.
6. Add the carrot, daikon, and red onion on the sides.
7. Generously top with chopped cilantro

Should make enough for 5 sandwiches.