Bahn Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich but it is really a fusion of French and Vietnamese cuisines. It’s usually made with pork and fairly complicated, but this is a simplified version. The mushrooms add excellent meaty flavor; the vegetables soak in a quick brine to make them sweet and sour. The chili sauce is optional, as it may be too spicy for children. I usually make this sandwich with just mayonnaise because when something is too spicy, it can ruin the entire dish. If you add chili sauce, start small and taste as you go. The nice thing about this sandwich is you assemble the whole loaf and then cut it into servings.

I LOVE the mushrooms in this recipe

Ingredients:

1 loaf of French baguette (can substitute four ciabattas)

½ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoona sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cucumber, sliced

1/4 cup shredded carrots (I buy pre-shredded to save time)

1/3 pound Shiitake mushrooms

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1-2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce (optional)

¼ cup cilantro

2 cups sliced rotisserie chicken, skin removed

Stir together vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved. Add sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots to the mixture and set aside. Sliced radishes are a nice addition, too.

Next, cut the stems off your mushrooms and heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add mushrooms and cook until tender. At the last minute, add soy sauce to mushrooms.

If you plan to use the chili sauce, stir it into mayonnaise. If not, slice your baguette in half horizontally and spread mayonnaise over the entire bread.

Evenly distribute mushrooms across the bread. Then layer on the sliced chicken.

Drain the cucumbers and carrots and sprinkle that over chicken. Top with fresh cilantro. Close the bread and cut into four large sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.