Langostino banh mi with duck liver pate is a great treat and way to stretch another meal with your delicious sourdough. An homage the the classic Vietnamese sandwich, slices of sourdough are toasted in whole butter and olive oil for a textural foil to the smooth pate and poached prawns inside the banh mi. The sweet, aromatic nam jim is what sets this sandwich apart. We whipped some up for a picnic down in Barcelonetta, behind the W hotel with fresh potato crisps (: . Recipe serves two people.

Ingredients

12 tails Langostina
1 Carrot, peeled and julienned
1/2 Daikon radish, peeled and julienned
50 ml white wine vinegar
75 ml filtered water
25g sugar
5g salt
1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 cucumber, sliced lenthwise
40 grams duck liver pate
Fermented chili peppers to taste
4 slices sourdough bread
1T butter
1T olive oil

Nam Jim

50ml Fish Sauce
50ml Water
50ml White Vinegar
50ml Sugar
5g ginger, minced
2g garlic, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
.2g Xantham gum

Potato Crisps

2 large russet potatoes, skin on
300ml Vegetable oil
1 clove garlic
salt

8 sprigs coriander

First make the pickles. Combine white wine vinegar, salt, sugar and water and coriander seeds in a small pot and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over carrots and daikon and leave to cool at room temperature.

Bring a salted pot of water to the boil and add prawns – immediately pour into a non-reactive bowl and leave to cool at room temperature. Peel when cool, remove the vein and chill in the fridge

Heat the oil and butter in a sauce pan. When the foaming subsides, add all slices of bread and toast until golden brown.

To make the nam jim, add all ingredients to a bowl except for the lime and xantham and stir to combine. Add xantham and whisk until incorporated. It should be slightly viscus. Add the lime and stir to combine.

For the crisps, add the oil and garlic clove to a medium sized pot. Heat until 360 degrees Fahrenheit and add your sliced potato. Stir occasionally until colored. Drain in a strainer and toss with salt to taste.

To assemble the Langostino Banh mi, place your toasted bread, toast side down and spread pate on the soft side of the bread. Top with the cucumbers. Using tweezers, dip cooked prawns into the nam jim, shaking off excess. Place on top of cucumbers followed by drained, pickled daikon and carrot. Add as much chilli as you’d like and top with the coriander and a couple of spoons of nam jim. Top with the other slice of bread and your crisps.

At Elect a Chef, we’d be happy to cater your next corporate or business lunch by providing sandwiches and sides just like the banh mi’s mentioned in this recipe for drop off! Click here to get in touch.