Did I bring home the perfect Banh Mi recipe from Vietnam?

I’m back from Vietnam to build a delicious Banh Mi using the tricks I learned from the locals in Ho Chi Minh City! Join me as I take you through two of the best that you can create in your home kitchen!
My COOKBOOK: There’s still copies available in the US for pre-order and it’s 20% for my subscribers: bit.ly/3NwdLV4
Music by Epidemic Sound. Free 30 day trial through my link - share.epidemicsound.com/3ilcb7
FOLLOW ME:
Instagram: / andyhearnden
TikTok: / andy_cooks
Facebook: / andy.h.cooks
Snapchat: @andy.cooks
Website with all my recipes: www.andy-cooks.com/
Director, Chef and Host: Andy
Videographer, Editor: Mitch Henderson
Production Manager: Dazz Braeckmans
Editor: Caleb Dawkins
Ingredients
- bánh mì (Bread)
- chicken liver pâté (recipe below)
- mayonnaise
- coriander
- roast pork belly (recipe below)
- cucumber batons
- spring onion batons
- carrot and daikon pickle (recipe below)
- sliced bird's eye chilli
- Maggi seasoning
Method
1. If your bread is not super crispy then pop it in an oven at 180°C for 3-4 minutes.
2. Cut the bánh mì open and spread the pâté on the bottom and mayo on the top.
3. Next, add the coriander and then the roast pork.
4. Now, add the rest of the salads, cucumber, spring onion, pickle, and chilli.
5. Season with Maggi seasoning and enjoy!
Ingredients pâté
- 250g trimmed chicken livers
- 200ml milk
- 150g butter
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 small shallots, sliced thin
- 50ml brandy
- salt and black pepper
Method
1. Start by rinsing the livers under cold water and then placing them into a bowl and covering them in milk. Place the bowl into the fridge and leave for 3-24 hours.
2. Drain the milk off, rinse once again, trim the livers of any veins or tendons and dry them on a paper towel.
3. Melt the butter on low heat (you just want to melt it and not make it split or bubble). Make sure you keep 50g of butter to cook the shallots.
4. In a fry pan, add 30g of the reserved butter and cook the shallots with a little salt, saute well and cook until translucent, but try to avoid much colour.
5. Remove the shallots from the pan and set aside. Add the reserved butter to the pan and once it’s just starting to bubble, add the livers, season with salt and cook for 4 minutes on one side before you flip and continue to cook for 4-5 more minutes.
6. Add the cooked shallots back to the pan and then deglaze the pan with brandy and cook until the brandy has almost evaporated.
7. Add the livers and the shallots to a food processor and blend for 1 minute before slowly streaming in the warm melted butter.
8. Once all the butter is emulsified into the livers, blend for 30 seconds more before you check for seasoning one last time.
9. Pour the pâté into a clean jar and you can seal it with some more melted butter (optional). Leave in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours before you use it.
Ingredients carrot and daikon pickle
- 1 daikon, cut into matchsticks
- 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 cup water
Method
1. Add the carrots and daikon to a bowl and season with salt, set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Mix the sugar, vinegar and water until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Once the veg has set, ring out any extra liquid and place it into the pickling liquid.
4. Leave this in the fridge overnight or until you are ready to use it.
Ingredients roast pork
- 1-2kg piece of pork belly (1kg will make 6-8 bánh mì)
- 3 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp oil (I used peanut)
Method
1. Poke lots of holes in the pork belly skin, a fork works well if you don't have the tool I have in the video.
2. Season the pork heavily on the skin side and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight.
3. The next day, brush off any extra salt and pat the skin dry. Rub some oil into the skin and give it one last season.
4. Place into a 180°C (350f) for 1.5 hours but start to check it after the first hour.
5. Turn the oven to grill on 240°C and then watch it closely because it will all happen quickly at this point. Once the skin is all puffed up you are good to go.
6. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before you slice it.