In the Kitchen: the ultimate bánh mì

This summer’s ultimate holiday weekend is finally here. Fireworks and cookouts go hand in hand — delicious eats everywhere you go.

Unfortunately I will be cooking for others this holiday weekend and this only means one thing: there will be leftovers waiting for me in the fridge. Or so I hope. I am not a huge fan or leftovers. I always encourage others to transform their leftovers into new masterpieces. Doing so is really the only way to get me to “re-eat” something.

Turning your leftovers into a meal everyone is going to enjoy can be difficult. I find when it comes to leftover barbecued or grilled meat, a sandwich is definitely the way to go.

Recently a crazy idea popped into my head: taking one of our household favorites and turning it into the ultimate sandwich. Turns out it was a hit.

One of our most popular go-to I-don’t-have-time-to-prepare-dinner meals is boneless chicken thighs marinated in Soy Vay Veri Veri teriyaki sauce and cooked on the grill. I think I could eat this chicken every day. It’s simple and delicious — you can’t go wrong.

OK, back to the sandwich. Take the leftover fabulous chicken and turn it into a bánh mì. What’s a bánh mì, you ask? It is a Vietnamese term which means all kinds of bread, preferably baguette. This is a term they use for a delicious sandwich filled with multiple types of pork and vegetables, along with some cilantro and spicy mayo. So eliminate the pork, insert fabulous chicken and we have got ourselves the ultimate sandwich.

It is really that simple. Of course using the finest ingredients makes all the difference and don’t forget to put your own twist by using some of your favorite sandwich toppings.

There are some simple key ingredients to making this ultimate sandwich. If you don’t have leftover chicken, beef, pork or vegetables can work too. If you are not the sandwich type, eliminate the bread and put all ingredients on top of some lettuce and you have yourself the ultimate salad.

Here’s the scoop on how to prepare the key ingredients for your next leftover meal.

The ultimate bánh mì

Yield: 4 servings

1 large flakey baguette or bread of your choice
4 chicken cutlets, cooked and shredded
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 cucumber, sliced thin
1 bunch of cilantro, tops picked, washed and dried
1 carrot, pickled (recipe below)
Spicy mayo (recipe below)

For the Pickled Carrots
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 large carrot peeled, julienned
1 pinch red pepper flakes

• Place the vinegar, water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat on low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved remove from heat. Stir in the red pepper flasks and the carrot. Set aside until ready to use. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

For the spicy mayo
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbl Sriracha hot sauce
• Combine the hot sauce and the mayonnaise in a bowl and stir well to combine. Set aside until ready to use. Refrigerate leftovers.

Sandwich Construction

• Slice open the baguette and spread the spicy mayo on both sides. Start layering each ingredients to form a sandwich, cucumber, shredded chicken, avocado, pickled carrots and cilantro. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
• After all ingredients are layered, carefully top sandwich with other half of baguette. Slice into four equal parts. Enjoy The Ultimate Sandwich!

Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig was born and raised in Riverhead, where she lives with her husband Tahir.

Kayleigh has been in the culinary industry for the last 12 years, working in kitchens on the East End. She also is a personal chef.

Got questions? Recipes? Ideas?

Write to Kayleigh- Click here. 

Look for In the Kitchen with Kayleigh every Saturday on RiverheadLOCAL.com.