Omelette Bahn Mi

SERVES 4

One of the most iconic Vietnamese dishes is the French-inspired bánh mì: a fresh, crispy yet fluffy baguette filled with the most captivating flavours and textures.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 French or 4 foot-long Vietnamese baguettes

For the spring onion omelette:

• 4 eggs, beaten

• 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced

  Vietnamese Vegetarian Uyen Luu

• pinch of freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar (optional)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 round shallots, finely chopped

Required fillings:

• butter, for spreading

• coriander (cilantro) sprigs

• mint leaves

• cucumber, sliced into thin lengths

• Instant Carrot and Daikon Pickle (see below)

• bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced at a diagonal

• Coriander Pesto (see below)

Optional additions:

• Vegan Vietnamese Sausage

• Salt and Pepper Tofu

• Maggi liquid seasoning

• mayonnaise

• chilli sauce

PREPARATION:

Beat the eggs with the spring onion, pepper, sugar (if using) and soy sauce. Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat and brown off the shallots, then pour on the egg mixture to make the omelette, turning once one side is brown. This should take no longer than a few minutes. Remove from the heat and cut into long strips.

Slit your baguette in half along one side so that it opens like a book. Pull out the soft bread inside (enjoy as a chef’s treat with butter or save for Banana Bread Layer Cake on page 180) to leave plenty of room for the filling.

Butter your baguette or spread it with coriander pesto. Stuff with a layer of all the required b.nh m. fillings, then the omelette strips. Serve immediately otherwise the bread will steam up and become soggy or wait for the omelette to cool down before adding. Add Maggi liquid seasoning, mayo or chilli sauce and enjoy.

INSTANT CARROT AND DAIKON PICKLE

MAKES 200 g (7 oz)

INGREDIENTS:

• 100 g (3 ½ oz) carrot, thinly sliced or julienned

• 100 g (3 ½ oz) daikon, thinly sliced or julienned

• 1 ½ tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

PREPARATION:

In a mixing bowl, combine the carrot, daikon, sugar and vinegar. For sliced vegetables, leave for 30 minutes or more to pickle, for julienned, leave for 15 minutes. The thicker the vegetable, the longer you need.

CORIANDER PESTO

SERVES 4

This makes a luxurious dip for crudités, is great slathered in a bánh mì tossed with blanched vegetables and tofu, or used to dress salad and of course wonderful on pasta or noodles.

INGREDIENTS:

• 30 g (1 oz) desiccated (dried shredded) coconut, pine nuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios or peanuts

• 60 g (2 oz) coriander (cilantro), with stalks, snipped into 3 cm (1 in) lengths

• 4 tablespoons avocado oil, walnut oil or groundnut (peanut) oil, plus extra for topping

• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• zest and juice of ½ lemon or lime

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 garlic cloves, sliced

PREPARATION:

Put all the ingredients in a bowl or small blender and (hand) blend together until it forms a smooth, pale green pesto.

Place in a clean, sterilized jar and add 5 mm (¼ in) of oil on top to conserve the pesto.

Serve spread over slices of baguette or slathered on homemade noodles.

Keep refrigerated and consume within 5 days.

Excerpted with permission from Vietnamese Vegetarian by Uyen Luu published by ‎ Hardie Grant Publishing, May 2023, RRP $35.00 Hardcover.

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