This fun breakfast sandwich from Thuy Diem Pham is a truly delicious and hearty way to start the day. It's inspired by traditional Vietnamese bánh mì. The recipes for the daikon and carrot pickle and shallots below both need to be started the day before, and make more than you need for the recipe. You can also use shop-bought crispy shallots instead of homemade ones.
Thuy Diem Pham says: 'Here, this Bánh Mì-inspired recipe has another dose of French inspiration by way of using a croissant rather than a classic baguette. This is a weekend breakfast favourite in our house; it’s super-easy to throw together. I normally have ingredients like the carrot and daikon pickle pre-prepared and ready in my fridge so I can add a Vietnamese touch to a dish whenever necessary.'
Heat up the rice vinegar and sugar in a saucepan to about 80–85°C (176–185°F), stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat and leave to cool completely
Put the carrots and daikon into a clean, sterilised jar (run it through the dishwasher, with no detergent) and pour over the cooled vinegar. It can be eaten after 3 hours but is better if left overnight
Store in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks in the fridge
Peel the shallots and chop as finely as you can
Heat the oil in a wok on the lowest setting for around 5–7 minutes. An easy way to tell when the oil is ready is by placing a wooden chopstick into the oil and waiting until bubbles start to form around it on the surface of the oil
Carefully add half the shallots to the hot oil and deep-fry for 10–12 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a mesh strainer onto sheets of paper towel, making sure they are in a single layer so they stay crisp, and repeat with the remaining shallots. Leave overnight to dry
Put the crispy shallots into an airtight jar once completely dry and store for up to 6 months at room temperature
Add 1 teaspoon of the oil to a small frying pan and bring to a high heat. Fry the bacon until crisp, then remove and keep warm
Add the remaining oil, then fry the eggs, sunny side up. Remove and keep warm
Toast the croissants, cut in half and open out on your plate. Spread the pâté on one half and the mayonnaise on the other. Top with the bacon, carrot and daikon pickle and fried eggs
Stuff in the coriander, mint, spring onion and chilli, then drizzle over the soy sauce. Sprinkle over the crispy fried shallots and black pepper, and your delicious breakfast is ready
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