Basil Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich

This is a bad a*$ sandwich. Full stop.

We are talking chicken with a kick of salt and spice on a freshly toasted baguette, topped with a herbed sweet mango salsa, pickled salty vegetables, a savoury special sauce and in case we hadn’t outdone ourselves we top it all off with a fried egg. This is not your mama’s chicken salad. This is a meal.

It is a little ambitious for a Tuesday night. But you can easily skip the fried egg and even the pickled vegies and it’s still spectacular.

The pickled vegetables should be made in advance, even if it’s just an hour. Preferably they should be made the day before. You can make a big batch and just keep them in the fridge. They will last for a week; longer if you actually can and seal the jars.

Serve with a fork and lots of napkins. Eating this is not a dainty affair.

Basil Chicken Bahn Mi

Adapted loosely, from Half Baked Harvest

2 tsp garlic chili sauce (sambal oelek)
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 pinch black pepper
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 mango, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh basil and cilantro leaves
juice from 1 lime
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 baguette, cut into 4 pieces and toasted
pickled vegetables, for serving (recipe below)
4 fried eggs, for serving

Special Sauce
1/4 cup tahini
2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
2 tsp maple syrup
kosher salt

In a small bowl, combine the chili sauce, fish sauce, maple, garlic, 1 Tbsp water, and a large pinch of black pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken. Season with black pepper and brown all over, almost 5 minutes. Slowly pour in the sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.

In a medium size bowl, toss the mangos, herbs, jalapeno, lime juice, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt all together.

To make the special sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add water to thin to your desired consistency, (I prefer a few Tbsp, so it is just spreadable). Taste and adjust seasonings.

Spread the toasted baguette with special sauce. Top with chicken, mangos, pickled vegetables and a fried egg. Add the top half of the sandwich.

Quick Pickled Vegetables
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup water
½ Tbsp kosher salt
½ Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ lb fresh vegetables (any combination cucumbers, carrots, green beans, spring onions, cauliflower)

Place the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the peppercorns and garlic.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the vegetables and lace them in a wide mouthed canning jar. Pour the brine over the vegetables and refrigerate.