Recipe: Banh Mi with fresh pickled onions

We try to have a leftovers night regularly in my house to make sure that we clear out the fridge and don't waste food. Rather than just eating the same dish again I prefer to turn it into something new. This week I had Vietnamese ingredients from our Bun Cha and also leftovers from a Sunday roast so Banh Mi was just what the doctor ordered!

Pickled Onions

1 red onion

1 cup white or rice vinegar

2 tbpsn salt

2 tbspn sugar

• Start by making the pickled onions, you can also pickle the cucumber this way if you like a more sour vegetable mix
• Chop the onions into rounds or half moon shapes and add to a bowl
• Sprinkle the salt and sugar on the onions
• Add the vinegar, enough to cover the onions
• Mix with a spoon and leave for 20 mins before preparing the sandwiches
• The colour from the onions may leave a faint pink colour in the liquid, this is normal
• Drain off the pickling liquid and then use for sandwiches, salads or Mexican food

Banh Mi

1 baguette

2 tbpsns liver pate

1 bird's eye chilli or 1 tbspn Schiracha sauce

1 tbspn mayonnaise

4 slices roasted meat or cold cuts (chicken, pork or beef all work well)

1 carrot

2 tbspn pickled onions

8-10 slices of cucumber

1/2 cup coriander leaves

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

• Ingredient amounts are for 1 sandwich, multiply by the number of guests
• I regularly make my own chicken liver pate but any commercial pate or Liverwurst can suffice
• Prepare the ingredients before collating the sandwich - slice the cucumber, julienne the carrots, de-stem the herbs, slice the meats, pickle the onions and set asside all the spread ingredients

• Cut the roll in half, spread one side with the pate and the other side with the mayonnaise; if you are allergic to eggs use butter. If using Schiracha spread on top of the mayonnaise
• Over the pate place your cold meats, for this sandwich I used a mix of leftover roast beef and cold cut Black Forest pork

• Spread the vegetables (cucumber, carrot, pickled onion and chilis) over both sides of the sandwich
• Stuff with coriander and mint and serve!