Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich

Peel the daikon and carrot, then cut into matchsticks (thinly slice, stack, then cut into thin strips). Place in a small pot with water, vinegar, salt and sugar. Feel free to add slices of jalapeno, saving some fresh slices. Bring to a simmer, then cool immediately, placing in the fridge. You could do this a day before.

Blot the tofu gently with paper towels, cut into 1/3 inch-thick squares or rectangles. Season both sides generously with salt, and sprinkle lightly with Chinese 5 Spice. Pan sear in oil, until both sides are crisp and golden. If using chicken, season both sides generously with salt and lightly with five-spice. Pan-sear until deeply golden. Either lower the heat and cook through or finish cooking the chicken in a 350F oven, then shred it a bit with two forks. Taste and adjust salt and 5-Spice, adding more to taste.

Sriracha “Mayo“: Mix the mayo and sriracha together, adding more to taste. Sriracha has both acidity and sweetness- keep this in mind if using something else and adjust accordingly.

Slit one side of the baguette down the whole length of it, leaving the other side intact- so it hinges open, like a book. Lather both sides with Sriacha Mayo. Layer in the protein, add the cucumber slices, and pickled Carrot/Daikon mix. Top with fresh cilantro and fresh jalapeno.

Give the Sanwiche a shake, open side up, to get things to settle towards the hinge. Cut into individual sandwiches.

You could also cut these into 8-12 mini “finger” sandwiches, piercing each piece with a toothpick- for a fun appetizer like we used to do in our catering business.