Vietnamese Chicken Banh Mi

This isn’t necessarily an authentic recipe but I love these subs. It’s mostly the toasted mayo and cheese- along with the combination of carrots and cilantro that make this different from any other sub/sandwich that I usually make. This recipe makes two subs.

For the Pickled Carrots/Onions:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1. Put the rice vinegar, water, and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
2. Stir until the sugar has dissolved then remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
3. Mix the carrots and onions into the vinegar mixture and let it sit for at least half an hour until the carrots have softened (or overnight in the fridge if you have the time).

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For the Chicken:

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
1 clove garlic, crushed
juice from half a lemon or lime
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried crushed red chili peppers
2 tsp brown sugar
ground black pepper, to taste

1. Marinate the chicken in all of the ingredients listed above for at least half an hour.
2. Heat your grill or griddle and oil it a little bit and then grill the chicken breast for a few minutes on each side until it’s cooked through (no longer pink in the center).
3. Once the chicken has rested for a little bit slice it into 1-inch thick strips.

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For the Chili-Mayo:

4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp chili-garlic paste or sambal oelek

Combine the mayonnaise and sambal- you can adjust the amount of sambal to alter the amount of heat.
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Other Sandwich Ingredients:

1 (12 inch) baguette
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
1/2 of a cucumber, thinly sliced
a few sprigs of fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and spread each side with the mayonnaise and sprinkle with cheese then toast in a toaster or under a broiler for a few minutes.
2. To assemble the banh mi sub layer the cucumber, chicken, pickled carrots and onions, and cilantro leaves. 
3. Squeeze a wedge of lime over the filling, and top with the other half of the baguette.