bhan mi's with cilantro lime aioli

bhan mi’s are traditional vietnamese sandwiches. they come in multiple varieties but are always served on a crusty bread with a plethora of fresh vegetables and cilantro.  when i lived in houston there was a great vietnamese restaurant right down the street from my apartment- it was one of the few places my husband and i could walk to.  although houston is a major metro area, walkability is not one of it's strong suits so you can imagine the excitement i had when i found some tasty vietnamese in walking distance from my apartment.  

when my husband and i were reminiscing on our houston days this past weekend (which always includes food memories) i decided to attempt re-creating our beloved bhan mi and i think it was a great success! the recipe is posted below:)

bhan mi:

ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken

2 jalapenos

1/2 seedless cucumber

2 carrots

siracha

rice vinegar

1 lime

2 large handfuls of fresh cilantro

salt and pepper

1/4 cup of chicken stock

directions:

first pre-heat the oven to broil. then, julienne the carrots, jalapenos (leave some seeds on), and cucumbers and place in a bowl. then pour enough rice vinegar to just barely cover the vegetables and top with the juice from 1/2 of the lime.  set aside.

then, shred the white meat from your rotiserrie chicken and place in a pot with the chicken stock, 3 tablespoons of siracha and salt and pepper to taste and heat over medium low heat.

while the chicken is heating, make the cilanrto lime aioli- see the recipe below.

then, cut the french baguette into 6-8 inch sections and drizzle with evoo before transferring to an aluminum lined baking sheet.  once the broiler is ready, toast the bread until lightly browned about 2-5 minutes.

once the bread is toasted, begin sandwich assembly by placing a thin layer of cilantro lime aioli on the bottom layer of bread, then top it with the roasted chicken.  strain the vegetables and layer on top of the chicken.  top it all off with handfuls of cilantro (stems on) and then sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy! 

cilantro lime aioli:

ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic

1 handful of fresh cilantro

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

juice from 1/2 lime

directions:

place the 3 cloves of garlic into a food processor with the juice of 1/2 of a lime, process until very fine.  then, add the 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise and a handful of the cilantro and process until smooth.