Vietnamese Pickled Daikon and Carrot and Homemade Bánh Mì

Earlier this year I went on a trip to Vietnam.  I travelled from South to North; going from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and stopping in Hoi An and Da Nang on the way.  The trip was really memorable, not just for the sights and the people, but especially for the food.  In fact, food was pretty much at the forefront of my mind when I decided to travel there.  That's right - I wanted to have an "authentic" Vietnamese food experience.

Even before we left, I was researching the best places to eat in each destination.  Here in Sydney, everyone was (and still is) going crazy for Vietnamese Pork Rolls - Bánh Mì.  The first time I tried one was on the recommendation of someone at work.  Working in Ultimo, I was surrounded by pork roll vendors - each one slightly different, but all really tasty.  And once I had tried one of these delicious rolls, it became a staple in my weekly lunch repertoire - and all for the bargain price of around $4.50 (my girlfriend tells me that her first Bánh Mì was a $3.50 roll at UNSW, which was a special uni price - she is also hooked).

I couldn't believe that I hadn't discovered Bánh Mì before - The French influences harmonising with the Asian flavours.  Rich Pâté.  Crusty baguette.   Putting chilli and coriander in a sandwich! Totally makes sense.

So naturally, I was compelled to find the best Bánh Mì in Vietnam. Anthony Bourdain provided me with the answer.  In his popular TV program "No Reservations" he was brought by his intrepid French business partner to what he believed was the most delicious Bánh Mì in the world.  It was located in Hoi An and was being served from a tiny stall near the markets.



I found a blog online that mapped out the location of this Bánh Mì stall, and after wandering around the markets a few times, we spotted it.  There were a lot of locals queueing up out the front - a very positive sign.  And when I finally had a bite of this local delicacy, it certainly didn't disappoint.

All of the best sandwiches tend to feature some kind of pickle, and it's no different with Bánh Mì.  They tend to include a very simple pickled carrot, and sometimes pickled daikon or white radish.

I've been having a bit of a daikon phase at the moment, probably because they're one of the only things in season!  After the success of the Japanese style daikon pickle I was keen on using the vegetable again.  So I made a Vietnamese style pickle which I could then use on my own homemade Bánh Mì.

 This pickle has similarities to the Atchara I posted a few weeks ago, but obviously with the distinct daikon flavour and texture, rather than green papaya.  It's crunchier and less salty too.

For my homemade Bánh Mì  I use slow cooked pork, rather than the standard lunch meat style pork that's normally used.  The coconut juice and the five spice add an interesting fragrance to the meat.  But I guess the question remains, "Is it worth making your own Bánh Mì?"  Well, in terms of flavour and using up leftover daikon - Yes.   But in terms of cost per sandwich - Hell No.  Go here instead.

Homemade Bánh Mì

What you need:

• 1kg of pork belly;
• Daikon and carrot pickles (see recipe below)
• 350ml of young coconut juice (a can's worth);
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce;
• 2 tablespoons of sugar;
• 4 tablespoons of fish sauce;
• 1 tablespooon of chinese five spice powder;
• 1 stick of cimnamon;
• 1 star anise;
• Salt and pepper to taste;
• Mayonaise;
• Bread rolls - try and get rolls from a Vietnamese bakery;
• Spring onion;
• Coriander;
• Mint;
• Pâté - we just used the standard stuff you can find in supermarkets;
• 1 Cucumber, cut lengthways into long, thin strips;
• Sriracha Chilli Sauce;
• Lettuce leaves (optional).

Sauce:

• 2 birdseye chillis, finely chopped;  
• 3 teaspoons of sugar;
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed;
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce;
• The juice of one lime.

Making the Bánh Mì:

1. The first step is making the slow cooked pork.  Place the pork belly into a pot or slow cooker.  Pour in the coconut juice, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar.  Bring the pot to the boil.
2. Place in the cinammon and star anise, along with some salt and pepper, and then lower the temperature to a simmer (in a slow cooker, place it on low).  Cook for 4 hours.
3. The next step is making the sauce.  Whisk the sugar with the lime juice and fish sauce until dissolved. Add the chilli and garlic into the sauce and stir.  
4. The order that I used to construct the Bánh Mì is:
• Pâté on one side of the roll;
• Mayonaise on the other side of the roll;
• Cucumber strip;
• Spring onions;
• Shredded pork;
• Daikon and Carrot pickles;
• Salad leaves;
• mint and coriander;
• drizzle with sauce.

Vietnamese Daikon and Carrot Pickles

What you need

• 2 large carrots, julienned;
• Around 500g of daikon, julienned (we used one large daikon);
• 1 tablespoon of salt;
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar;
• 1 cup of warm water;
• 2/3 cup of caster sugar.

The pickling

1. Put all the julienned carrot and daikon in a large bowl.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of sugar over the vegetables, and then using your hands, mix them around, coating them in the salt and sugar.  This will draw water out of carrot and daikon.  Do this until the vegetables have softened and the daikon in particular is bendy (around 3-5 mins).
2. Now, rinse off the vegetables in a colander thoroughly and then drain,
3. In a bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved completely.
4. Finally, add the daikon and carrot into sterilised jars, pour over the pickling brine and seal.  They will be ready to use in a day or so.  

Atchara - Filipino Pickled Green Papaya

Being of Filipino background, I always wonder why Filipino cuisine isn't as popular or prevalent as other Asian cuisines.  There's only a handful of Filipino restaurants in Sydney.   And it can't be because there's a small volume of Filipino immigrants in Australia - there's actually a large community of around 190,000.  

A strange mix of influences shape Filipino cuisine.  Writer Monina A. Mercado cleverly explained that "Filipino food was prepared by Malay settlers, spiced by Chinese traders, stewed in 300 years of Spanish rule, and hamburgered by American influence".  So surely there's something to appeal to everyone!

Growing up with my mum's cooking, I learned that a really important feature of Filipino cuisine is contrast - particularly the sweet/savoury, or sweet/sour combinations.  When we ate dishes like Lechon (roast pork) or something fried (i.e. 50% of Filipino cuisine...) Mum would always serve Atchara as an accompaniment.  

Atchara is a Filipino pickle that uses green papaya as a base.  You can't easily find green papaya out of season in Australia, but you can get them during summer at the food markets or at Asian grocery stores.  Admittedly I'm posting this article months after I made my batch of Atchara, but it keeps really well and still tastes great!

I tracked down some green papaya at a grocery store in Haymarket. Two large ones yield quite a few jars of Atchara.  Grating or julienning all of the papaya takes a long time, so I'd recommend using a mandolin.  The green papaya is mixed with onion and carrot, and sometimes even capsicum, so you get a great combination of colours in the jar.  

After a thorough inspection, my folks approved my first attempt at Atchara, but their only criticism was that it wasn't as sweet as they usually like it. They love having something sweet to balance something savoury. But my girlfriend really likes it and thinks its the most versatile pickle I've made.  

We ate the Atchara with some pan-fried Sand Whiting.  

Atchara Recipe

What you need:

• 1 large green papaya (around 2kg), julienned or coarsely grated depending on how you like it;
• 1 onion, finely sliced;
• 2 carrots, julienned;
• 8 cloves of garlic, finely sliced;
• 1 green or red capsicum, sliced (optional);
• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger;
• 1/3 cup of sea salt;
• 2 cups of white vinegar;
• 1 1/2 cups of caster sugar;
• 2 tablespoons of peppercorns;
• 1 birdseye chilli, finely sliced (optional).

The pickling:

1. Firstly, sprinkle the salt over the julienned green papaya in a bowl.  Make sure the salt coats all of the papaya and use your hands to mix it through.  Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
2. The next day a lot of the water from the papaya will have been extracted.   Place the papaya in a strainer, rinse off any excess salt and then squeeze out any additional water (this can be done in a muslin cloth).
3. In a large pot add the vinegar, a large pinch of salt, peppercorns, ginger, garlic and chilli (if using).  Simmer the pickling brine on a low heat for about 5 minutes until the vinegar has been infused.  Allow the brine to cool.
4. Fill sterilised jars with the papaya, onion, capsicum and carrot, then top them off with the pickling brine.