Berlin

A Modern Rose: Banh Mi

Rose makes a quick and spicy Banh Mi that is perfect on a warm summer's evening.

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A Banh Mi is my go to easy, comfort food after a long day. It is easy to make, quick to snack on and packed full of flavour. This is also one of my favourites to make on a hot summer’s evening. They say that something really spicy is meant to be the best thing to eat when the weather gets hot – and this recipe sure is hot! Something you are not often going to get in Berlin unless you do it yourself…

I am always disappointed when eating a Banh Mi out and about in Berlin. Places such as Babanbè and CoCo Banh Mi offer a good selection with the baguettes filled with plenty of fresh meat, salad and pickles that are worth visiting for alone. But there is just no heat to them – even when you have requested the hot chilli sauce. Does the German aversion to all things scharf really mean that the rest of us can’t have just a little bit of fire to what is meant to be a spicy dish? But fear not, this recipe is zingy, tasty, spicy and all from the comfort of your own kitchen!

Ingredients: makes 2

2 pork fillets

1 onion (peeled and finely sliced)

1 tbpsn sesame oil

1 tbpsn sambal oelek

2 tspn rice wine vinegar

Handful of fresh coriander

2 lemongrass stalks (peeled and finely chopped)

1 red pepper (finely sliced)

2 carrots (peeled and then grated)

Half a cucumber (seeds removed and chopped into thin slices)

2 small chillies (seeds removed and finely chopped)

Handful of watercress

Ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbspn sesame seeds

1 white baguette (ends removed, cut in half and then each half sliced in the middle)

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Heat a large frying with the sesame oil. Flatten the pork using a meat hammer/ rolling pin and then roughly slice the pork into thin strips. Add the pork to the pan with the onions, pinch of salt and the red chillies. Cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes.

Add the carrots, peppers, cucumber, coriander, lemongrass, watercress, lime juice, rice wine vinegar and black pepper to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sesame seeds and then add the onions and pork once cooked. Mix everything together.

Spread the sambal oelek on both sides of the baguette. Fill each baguette with the pork and salad mix and a bit more black pepper if needed.

For more great recipes check out A Modern Rose website!