Skip to main content

Bánh Mì + A Wine Suggestion #NationalPicnicDay


We love picnics! So, when I saw that Ellen of Family Around the Table was hosting a Festive Foodies event to celebrate National Picnic Day, I was excited to participate and get some new ideas for Summer and Spring meals al fresco. Sometimes our picnics are as easy as jarred tapenades, sliced breads, cheese, and fruits.


Sometimes I'll prep salads or chilled soups. We picnic in parks, on the beach, wherever we happen to be. And, on special occasions, we'll even hike in a bottle of bubbly or wine. Wine bottles are heavier than you would think; my husband groans when he sees me packing one.


For this #NationalPicnicDay event, I wanted to share our favorite sandwich: Bánh Mì.


But on the afternoon I was packing these up, this is what it looked like outside! Darn it. So, we picnicked at our dining room table instead. I promised the boys we'd re-do these on another day, when the sun was shining.


But before I get to my recipe, here are the picnickers' offerings!

The Festive Foodies' Picnic Basket

Bánh Mì

Bánh mì is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread, derived from bánh (bread) and mì (wheat). But, more often than not, it refers to the baguette which was introduced by the French during its colonial period. But when we say it, we're usually referring to the Vietnamese sandwiches that my boys adore. These sandwiches combine French ingredients such as baguettes, pâté, and mayonnaise with native Vietnamese ingredients such as cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon.


Ingredients 
makes 8 sandwiches with 4 or 5 meatballs each

Meatballs
  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 1 T chopped cilantro
  • 1 T chopped basil
  • 1 T chopped parsley
  • 1 t minced ginger
  • 1/2 t minced lemongrass
  • 1 to 2 scallions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
  • 2 t fish sauce
  • 2 t soy sauce
  • 1 T Sriracha or other hot sauce


Pickled Carrots and Daikon
  • 4 to 5 medium carrots, julienned (I used orange, yellow, and purple carrots)
  • 1 daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer)
  • 4 T organic granulated sugar
  • 2 T fish sauce
  • 1/2 C rice wine vinegar
  • 1 t sesame oil
  • 2 t minced cilantro

Spicy Mayo
  • 1/2 C organic mayonnaise
  • 1 to 2 T Sriracha or other hot sauce

To Assemble
  • 2 baguettes, cut into 4 equal pieces and lightly toasted 
  • pâté
  • fresh cilantro
  • fresh cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • waxed paper or parchment paper (if actually taking these on a picnic)
  • cotton twine (if actually taking these on a picnic)
Procedure

Pickled Carrots and Daikon
(This can be done the night before, but should be done at least six hours before serving.)


Place julienned carrots and sliced daikon in separate bowls. Bring the sugar, vinegar, and fish sauce to a simmer. Stir till the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the sesame oil and cilantro. Divide the hot liquid in half and pour half over the carrots and half over the daikon. Make sure the vegetables are as submerged as possible. Set aside until ready to serve.

Spicy Mayo
(This can be done the night before, but can also be done at the last minute.)
Place ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Stir together until well combined. Set aside.


Meatballs
In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together all of the ingredients until well-combined. Roll walnut-sized balls and place them on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes until well-browned.


To Assemble
Open up each piece of bread. Spread the Sriracha mayonnaise on one side. Smear pâté on the other side. Place the meatballs on the bread. Top with picked carrots, pickled daikon, cucumber slices, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy! If you're taking this in a picnic basket, wrap them tightly with waxed paper or parchment paper and tie with twine.


And, as a bonus, I'm offering a wine pairing! With the sandwiches, I poured the 2015 Picpoul Blanc from Adelaida Vineyards & Winery, Paso Robles, California.


I had initially opened up this wine to go with the Bourride à la Sétoise I made for April's French Winophiles event last weekend. You can read that post: here. But neither of us really cared for it with that dish. So, I poured it with the Bánh Mì and it worked really, really well.

On the nose I got aromas of tropical fruits, citrus, and brioche. On the tongue, those complex notes were matched with just enough citrus and savory spices to complement spicy Asian fare. If you can't get your hands on a Picpoul, I would suggest an unoaked Chardonnay or Grüner Veltliner. Cheers.

Comments

  1. Yay for another Picpoul pairing. I think these sandwiches would be wonderful to serve alongside my Asian Slaw. Thanks for the recipe Cam.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pickled veggies works on here, yum!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce