Two-metre banh mi

Name: Two-metre banh mi
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2-3 long baguettes (totalling 2m in length); 150g chicken liver pâte; ¾ cup Japanese mayonnaise; 400g Vietnamese sausage (cha lua), other sliced luncheon meats, or shredded roast chicken; 4 carrots, peeled and grated; 3 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into 10cm batons; 8 spring onions, halved lengthways and cut into 10cm lengths; 6 bird's-eye chillies, finely sliced; 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked

Adam Liaw

October 2, 2020

Supersized sandwich: Two-metre banh mi. William Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:6

Banh mi has to be one of the world's best sandwiches. These extra-long versions are easy to make, impressive to serve, and perfect to feed a crowd.

Ingredients

2-3 long baguettes (totalling 2m in length)
150g chicken liver pâte
¾ cup Japanese mayonnaise
400g Vietnamese sausage (cha lua), other sliced luncheon meats, or shredded roast chicken
4 carrots, peeled and grated
3 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into 10cm batons
8 spring onions, halved lengthways and cut into 10cm lengths
6 bird's-eye chillies, finely sliced
1 bunch coriander, leaves picked

Pickled radish

1 daikon, peeled and cut into 1cm square by 10cm batons
1 tbsp salt
½ cup white vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar

Banh mi seasoning

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Method

1. For the pickled radish, combine the daikon and salt and rub for about 2 minutes until the daikon is softened. Rinse, and combine with the vinegar and sugar, along with ½ cup of water in a press-seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. For the banh mi seasoning, combine the ingredients and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
3. With a bread knife cut a slit in the baguettes lengthways, leaving the top and bottom joined by a hinge. Spread the baguettes with the pâte and mayonnaise, fill with slices of Vietnamese sausage or substitute meat, grated carrot and lengths of pickled radish, cucumber and spring onion. Scatter with sliced chilli, coriander and banh mi seasoning, then tie the loaves together with string at 20cm intervals and slide them back into the paper bags they came in. Serve on a board with a bread knife for people to cut their own lengths of banh mi.
Also try: my picnic pasta alla Norma recipe