Bánh Mì

The Vietnamese Baguettes I made were destined to become Bánh Mì sandwiches.  I filled the baguettes ith char siu pork, pickled carrots and daikon, fresh cucumber and a bunch of cilantro.  By way of condiments I prefer lots of mayonnaise and a splash of Maggi seasoning.  The only thing missing was some pork pâté but I'll get some for next time.

Vietnamese Baguettes

Bánh mì (or Vietnamese baguette sandwich) is one of my all-time favorite things in the world.  It's the perfect food if you ask me.  Crisp, crunchy, soft and airy baguettes filled with meat, pickled vegetables, fresh cucumber and herbs.  Heaven in a bite!  Almost a decade later and I still think about the most delicious bánh mì I ever ate from Bánh Mì Phượng in Hội An, Vietnam.  

The key to a really good bánh mì boils down to the bread.  Viet baguette is slightly different than the French variety.  Yes, it was introduced to the country by the French in the 19th century but there's definitely a Viet spin to it.  The Vietnamese kind is much lighter and airier than the traditional baguette.

When I saw Uyen Luu had posted a recipe for homemade Viet baguette on her Instagram and website I could not contain my excitement.  Hers looked totally legit so I had to give it a go.

It's always intimidating trying a new recipe, especially when you have such high expectations for it.  Turns out I didn't need to worry.  The recipe wasn't complicated but there were a few steps you had to follow.  What I found very helpful was the YouTube video that was included in Uyen's post that showed how the baguettes were made.  Forewarning though, the video is in Vietnamese, but even if you don't understand the language you can still watch the video for visual clues on how the recipe works.

I literally jumped up and down when I pulled the baked baguettes out of the oven.  They totally looked authentic, down to the beautiful split on the top.  Straight away I FaceTimed my mom to show her the results and she even said the baguettes looked really good.  [And she's a tough critic!] I promised her that once I was able to visit again I would make them with her.

I'm planning to fill the baguettes with char siu or Chinese bbq pork.  Stay tuned!

Bánh Patê Sô

Growing up I was never much a fan of Vietnamese desserts.  Most were either too sickly sweet or the textures weren't to my liking.  [Xin lỗi to the relatives I may have offended!]   But when it comes  to Vietnamese savories I go crazy for them.

One of my absolute favorites is Bánh Patê Sô, a pork-filled puff pastry.  Their influence is definitely French and the name is actually a play on pâté chaud or "hot pastry."  My mom typically saved these treats for special occasions or when she had Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry on hand.   In Vietnam they're normally eaten for breakfast but I like to enjoy them any time of day. 

I took it as a sign that I should make these for myself when I had some leftover egg roll filling and quickest puff pastry dough sitting in my freezer.   I'm so glad I did!  I'm kicking myself for not making them from scratch sooner.  The great thing is that the shaped, unbaked pastries can be frozen well in advance of when you need them.  Just thaw them overnight in the fridge and they're ready to go in the oven.