Banh Mi Sandwich – Spicy Honey BBQ Chicken With Quick Pickles

 

In recent years, the Banh Mi has claimed its stake in the sandwich world. Enclosed in a crisp baguette lie Vietnamese treated ingredients. Whilst cilantro, pickled daikon and carrots and sriracha chili sauce are resident contents, there are also a variety of sandwich fillings from which to make your choices, such as, spicy pork, bbq chicken, cold cuts and pates echoing a French past.

I remember being introduced to the Bahn Mi 2 years ago, albeit a delayed introduction. Looking at the sandwich, it didn’t seem unacquainted, after all, it was home to dishes I had eaten in some fashion before – the pickles and spicy pork were similar to something I had eaten at a Korean BBQ and the pate – well, what charcuterie plate in France doesn’t have a  piece of pate on the board?

 

Yet, this combination encased in a baguette was the novelty for me. I made a Banh Mi with honey BBQ chicken (not literally BBQ’d, pan searing does the trick). The sandwich was full of contrasts – hot and cold, soft and crunchy and lightly sweet, smoky and very savory. If you have any leftovers, make an Asian chicken salad the next day.

 

Recipe for Banh Mi And Quick Pickles

Ingredients – Serves 4

4 French demi-baguettes

Couple of handfuls of cilantro (stems slightly trimmed and roughly chopped)

1 sliced onion, white

1 fresh lime

 

Honey BBQ Chicken

4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tsp. ginger and garlic paste

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

¾ tsp. Chinese 5 spice

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. cooking oil

1 tbsp. honey for basting

 

Quick Pickles

1 cup water

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1/8 of a cup of salt

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 fresh chilies

1 carrot peeled and sliced in to matchsticks

1 daikon, peeled and sliced in to matchsticks (or turnip)

 

Spicy Mayo

1 tbsp. srirarcha hot sauce

¼ cup mayo

1 tsp. sesame oil

 

Method

Prepping                                                                                    

1)      Marinade the whole thighs in all the ingredients except for honey and oil. Set aside 20 minutes

2)      Pickling: Put the carrots and daikon in a bowl. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil and pour over carrots and daikon. Set aside for atleast 20 minutes

3)      Bread: Slice in half and hollow out the insides a little to create a recess

4)      Spicy Mayo: Combine srirarcha and mayo

5)      Wash and drain cilantro and set aside with the sliced onions

Making the sandwich

6)      Heat a frying pan, shake off excess liquid on thigh and lay down on pan, flattening with a slotted spoon. Cook through, increase heat to crisp up, brush oneside with the honey and cook honey side down for 30 seconds – set aside and allow to rest for about 4 minutes before slicing (to allow juices to redistribute)

7)      Spread the spicy mayo on the bread, lay the cilantro in to the base of the bread, slice the thighs and lay pieces on the cilantro, throw on the pickle and drizzle fresh lime juice and srirarcha