Susie says: “Bahn Mi is the classic Vietnamese baguette sandwich with BBQ meat and pickles. The baguette should be fresh and soft and able to soak up all the pickle juices. Choose a BBQ or spicy-hot style of rotisserie chicken for this.”

Makes 4 sandwiches, serves 2 to 4 people

Ingredients

Pickles:

½ cup/120ml unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 big handfuls carrot sticks
1 piece (8in/20cm) thick daikon, cut into sticks like the carrot

Spicy mayo:

¾ cup/175ml mayo of your choice (Kewpie is a good one for here)
1½ tbsp hot chilli sauce, such as Sriracha or sambal oelek
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions (about 1 thick scallion)
2 splashes of tamari, to taste

Sandwich:

1 large Persian cucumber or 2 small
½ tsp sea salt flakes
Chilli sesame oil, for drizzling
1 long sourdough or classic French baguette, or 2 small baguettes
½ (1lb/450g) BBQ rotisserie chicken, sliced or shredded (mix of brown and white meat)
1 large handful cilantro sprigs

Method

First, make the pickles. Mix the vinegar, 60ml water, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Mix in the vegetables. Place in the refrigerator to crisp and pickle for 15 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, for the spicy mayo, mix all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the level of heat, if liked.

For the sandwich, quarter the cucumber lengthwise. Smash with the side of your chopping knife. Sprinkle with the salt and a drizzle of chili sesame oil and let stand for about 5 minutes.

To assemble, cut the baguette in half lengthwise and separate in two. Press the white part of the bread into the crust and spread both sides with spicy mayo. Randomly place pieces of cucumber on the base and top with the chicken. Drain the pickles and press onto the chicken. Place the cilantro sprigs on top. Press down the top part of the baguette to sandwich the filling, and secure with toothpicks in four equal places, or butcher’s string. This is to allow even cutting without everything rolling around. Cut the baguette in half, then in half again to make four equal sandwiches. Serve with any remaining spicy mayo and pickles.

Quick swap

Feel free to use store-bought spicy mayo. The choice is endless.

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