Marinade ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice powder* 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 scallion, minced Pinch of crushed red chilies, optional4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 large baguette, cut into 4 6-inch sections or 4 individual baguettesCombine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Marinate the chicken breasts for at least 4 hours.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Drain the chicken from the marinade and discard marinade. Place the chicken breasts on a rack with a sheet pan underneath and roast the chicken for 20 minutes or until cooked through.For the pickled carrots and Daikon radishFor the pickling liquid1 cup rice wine vinegar ¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 star anise Several “coins” of fresh ginger 1 large pinch of crushed red chiliesFor the vegetables2 carrots, sliced very thinly into matchstick ½ cup thinly sliced daikon radish 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly slicedBring the pickling liquid to a simmer.Pour the liquid over thinly sliced vegetables and let sit for at least 4 hours.Drain the vegetables and save the pickling liquid, covered in the refrigerator.For the mayonnaise½ cup prepare or homemade mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 teaspoons Asian hot sauceGarnish: cilantro leaves, thinly cut scallionsAssemble the Bahn Mi Slice open the baguette, but leave it hinged. Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips.Spread the spiced mayonnaise on each baguette. Arrange the chicken strips on the bread.Top the chicken with pickled carrots, jalapeno and daikon and garnish with cilantro leaves and scallions. Enjoy!
*Chinese 5 Spice powder is an aromatic mixture of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cinnamon and ginger and can be found in many grocery stores, online or can be home made.Laura Frankel is Executive Chef for Spertus Kosher Catering and author of Jewish Cooking for All Seasons, and Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes