Mini Bánh Mí

Name: Mini Bánh Mí (Banh Mi)
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 6 slices baguette; 2 tablespoons whole-egg aïoli; 2 leaves oakleaf lettuce, torn; 60g thinly sliced char siu; handful pickled carrot and daikon; 1 green onion, cut into thin strips; ½ Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced; Pickled minced red chilli, to taste; 6 small sprigs coriander, to taste; Betel leaves (optional)

Bánh mì, Vietnamese pork rolls, are a take-away mainstay, a healthy quick lunch to grab on the run. They’re also fun to serve as finger food or a starter if you turn them into mini bánh mì: little open sandwiches on slices of baguette. Inspired by leftover bits and pieces from a few weeks of recipe testing for my online Vietnamese cooking class, I whipped up these mini bánh mì. Use this recipe as a starting point and add whatever leftover Asian herbs or meats you have on hand, including Vietnamese pickles (see video below). I enjoy mini bánh mì with a glass of elegant grenache, like Dreaded Friends by Nadja Wallington at ChaLou in Orange. Try my full-sized bánh mì recipe too.

Makes 6 pieces

Ingredients

6 slices baguette
2 tablespoons whole-egg aïoli (40ml)
½ small Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
Handful pickled carrot and daikon
60g char sui, sliced (2oz)
2 leaves oakleaf lettuce, torn
Pickled ground chilli, to taste
1 green onion (scallion), finely chopped
6 small sprigs coriander or other herbs
Betel leaves, for serving (optional)

Method

Spread baguette slices with aïoli.
Add a slice of cucumber on one side with some pickled carrot and daikon beside it.
Top with char siu and tuck a piece of lettuce in among it.
Dot with pickled ground chilli and sprinkle with green onion.
Add a sprig or 2 of herbs.
Serve mini bánh mì on a bed of betel leaves if you like.