Chanterelle Bánh Mi Bites - Recipe
Bánh mì are Vietnamese sandwiches that have taken the West Coast by storm. They are served on a crusty baguette, spread with a little mayo and stuffed with pickled vegetables and a filling of your choice. Tofu is usually on the menu, though vegetarians still have to watch out for fish sauce.
I’ve adapted the traditional bánh mì into a little two-bite crostini that makes a great appetizer. It will really wake up your palate with bright flavors and crunchy textures. If you can’t find chanterelle or other wild mushrooms, a thin slab of well-fried tofu would also be delicious, or you could use portobello mushrooms, cut into pieces that will sit nicely atop your baguette slices.
Chanterelle Bánh Mi Bites
Vegan option / Yields 12 small crostini / 30 minutes total (15 minutes active)
- For the pickled vegetables:
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 whole star anise
- a few grinds of fresh black pepper
- 12 thin round slices of daikon
- ½ cup julienned carrot (about one 6" carrot; cut into pieces about 1 1/2" long then thinly sliced)
- For the seasoned mayonnaise:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sriracha-type hot sauce
- To complete the dish:
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh lemongrass (tender white parts only)
- 12 small chanterelle mushrooms (or cut larger ones)
- 12 slices baguette (about 3/8” thick), lightly toasted
- 12 slices cucumber
- 12 sprigs cilantro (smaller than your baguette slices)
- 12 paper-thin slices jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
- flaky sea salt
- Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt, star anise, and black pepper in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until nearly boiling and the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and mix in the daikon and carrots. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 day.
- Mix together the mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise and hot sauce.
- Place a small skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the vegetable oil and when it is hot, add the lemongrass, chanterelle mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Fry, stirring a couple of times, for 3 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
- Toast the baguette slices until very lightly browned. They should still be more soft than crunchy.
- Gather all of your ingredients. (There are a lot of things to put on each crostini, so it will be more efficient if you first do all of the mayo, then all of the daikon and so forth._
- Spread each piece of baguette with 1 teaspoon of the seasoned mayonnaise. Top with 1 slice of the pickled daikon and 1 slice of cucumber, followed by a few pickled carrots. Top that with 1 mushroom, a sprig of cilantro, a slice of jalapeno, and a few flakes of sea salt and serve immediately.
