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Fried Egg Bánh Mì

By Chris Shepherd

3.3

(9)

Four mini baguettes split and stuffed with two fried eggs each pickled vegetables and cilantro.
Photo by Julie Soefer

While I was visiting Vietnam, this was my daily breakfast, and I've since been obsessed with it. I love the simplicity of it. So much flavor emerges from a very modest list of ingredients—eggs, vegetables, herbs, hot sauce, mayonnaise, and fish sauce.

You should get really excited about fish sauce and mayonnaise; mixed together, the fish sauce lightly seasons the mayonnaise with an ideal amount of salt and depth. Fish sauce mayonnaise is a condiment that I could use in endless applications. For starters, it make the best BLT you've ever had (fish sauce loves fatty pork) and adds a whole new dimension to tuna salad.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fish sauce
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-inch) baguettes, halved lengthwise
1/2 English cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise into strips
2 jalapeños, seeded and cut into rings
2 medium carrots, shredded
12 cilantro sprigs
Sriracha, for serving (optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and fish sauce.

    Step 2

    Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until the foam subsides. Break 2 eggs into the pan. Season them with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to low.

    Step 3

    Cook the eggs slowly until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat the process with 3 more tablespoons of butter and the remaining 6 eggs.

    Step 4

    Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons butter on the baguettes. Place the baguettes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Season the cucumber, jalapeños, and carrots with salt and pepper to taste.

    Step 5

    To build the bánh mì, spread each baguette half with the fish sauce mayonnaise, then top with 2 eggs, some of the vegetables, a few cilantro sprigs, and Sriracha, if desired. Serve immediately.

Cover of the cookbook with a red background featuring grilled chicken wings and shishito peppers.
Reprinted with permission from Cook Like a Local by Chris Shepherd & Kaitlyn Goalen, copyright © 2019. Photographs by Julie Soefer. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Buy the full book from Amazon.
TagsSandwichEggVietnameseSoutheast AsianAsianMainBreakfastBrunchLunchDinnerNut FreeQuickEasyWeeknight Meals30 Minutes or LessCookbooks

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