Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

I'm currently hooked on this Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi. I have already made them twice this week, kids love it as well. It's really that good. The slightly toasted Vietnamese-style baguette is filled with aromatic chicken, pickled cucumber and carrot, plenty of fresh herbs, such as Asian basil, coriander, and Ngo Gai. Do have a go at this Vietnamese inspired sandwich recipe and tell me what you think.


Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

Ingredients

6 (About 720 g) Boneless Chicken Thighs, cut each thigh in half
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Sauce
3 Stalks Lemongrass, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
2 Green Chilies, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp Sesame Oil

6 (About 6-inches) Vietnamese-Style Baguette
Assorted Herbs
Green Chilies, sliced
Pickled Carrot & Cucumber

Pickled Cucumber and Carrot
1/3-Cup Rice Vinegar
1/3 Cup White Sugar
½ tsp Sea Salt
2 Carrot, julienned/shredded
1 Cucumber, julienned/shredded
1 Thai Bird’s Eye Chili, chopped

Method

Pickled Cucumber & Carrot: Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and sea salt in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil until the sugar dissolved and let cool to room temperature. Place the carrot, cucumber, and chilies in a mixing bowl and add in the sugar and vinegar mixture. Chill for about 20 minutes before serving.

Spicy Lemongrass Chicken: Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and black pepper. Heat a large cast-iron pan over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of peanut oil. Add the chicken and fry both side until golden brown. Turn the heat to medium and mix in the sauce, press down the chicken meat with a spatula, and continue to cook until the sauce thicken and become caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before slicing.

Sandwich: Lightly toast the baguette and fill with chicken slices with its sauce, pickles, green chili, and assorted herbs. Serve immediately.

Serves 6