Chicken Bahn Mi

Ingredients

Pickled vegetables

• 1 pound daikon, or 2 8-ounce purple-top turnips or watermelon radishes

• 1 (6-ounce) carrot

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup

• 1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar 

for the chicken:

• 1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 large garlic clove, put through a press or minced and mashed

• 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

• 2 tablespoons honey, preferably amber colored

• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon ketchup

• scant 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  
  

for the bread (choose one):

• small French baguette or Bolillo roll

for the spread

• mayonnaise 

• thin avocado slice

for the seasoning (choose one or more):

• Sriracha

• Sweet Chili Sauce

• soy sauce

• fine sea salt

• freshly ground black pepper

for the sandwich:

• 3 or 4 thin slices fresh medium-hot jalapeño 

• 4 to 6 cucumber strips, rounds, or ovals, a scant 1/4 inch thick

• 1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro sprigs, mint leaves, or basil leaves

Preparations

1. Make the Viet pickle: Peel and cut the daikon into sticks about 3 inches long and 1/4 inch thick (the width of an average chopstick). Peel and cut the carrot into sticks a little skinnier than the daikon.

2.  Put both vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt and 2 teaspoons sugar. Massage and knead for 3 minutes, or set aside for 20 minutes, until you can bend a piece of daikon so the tips touch without breaking. They will have lost about a quarter of their original volume.

3. Rinse the vegetables with water, drain in a mesh strainer or colander, and press or shake to expel excess water. Transfer to a 4-cup jar.

4. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the vinegar and 1 cup water until dissolved. Pour enough of the liquid into the jar to cover the vegetables, discard any excess, and let sit for 1 hour. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 month.

5. Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels to remove excess moisture, then trim and discard any big fat pads. If the thighs are large or super uneven in thickness, butterfly each one. Lay the thigh, smooth-side down, on your cutting board. Using a fillet knife horizontally, cut across to form a thin flap of meat, stopping just shy of cutting all the way through. Fold back the meat flap that you just created. The thigh should now be longer and relatively even in thickness. If the result seems  too large, cut it crosswise into two smaller pieces. The key is to get it to rough consistent thickness for even cooking. Set aside.

6. In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, five-spice powder, honey, hoisin, soy sauce, ketchup, and sesame oil. Remove 3 tablespoons and set aside for glazing the chicken. Add the chicken to the bowl, coating the pieces well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to 24 hours (return to room temperature before cooking).

7. Lightly oil a cast-iron stove-top grill pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, turning several times. To test for doneness, pierce the flesh with the tip of a knife; the chicken is cooked when clear juices flow out. During the last 2 minutes, when the chicken feels firm, baste with the reserved marinade. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

8. Make the sandwich: If the bread is soft, rub the crust with wet hands to moisten and then crisp in a 350°F oven for about 7 minutes. Otherwise, bake it at 325°F for 3 - 6 minutes. Let it cool a few minutes, then use a serrated bread knife to slit the bread open horizontally, maintaining a hinge, if possible. Hollow out some of the inside to make room for the filling.

9. Spread the mayonnaise on the two cut sides of bread, covering all the way to the edges. If using avocado, lay down thin slices and mash them so they adhere to the bread. Season as you like, layer the chicken on the bottom half of the bread, and top with the vegetables and pickles.  Top lightly with Sriracha or Sweet Chili Sauce as you like. Close and cut crosswise or keep whole to eat.

Adopted from a recipe by Andrea Nguyen

Urban Cowgill 2021(updated 2024)