Banh Mi Op La

Ingredients

• 2 short Vietnamese baguettes or 1 light French baguette
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 100 g pork pate, sliced
• 100 g Vietnamese pork sausage (gio lua) or 4 rashers of streaky bacon
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp Maggi seasoning or light soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 small cucumber, sliced on the diagonal
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 tbsp pickled carrot and daikon (do chua)
• 1 handful cilantro sprigs
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, sliced

Before you cook

• Slice the onion, cucumber and tomato thinly.
• Slice the pate and the pork sausage.
• Pick the cilantro sprigs and slice the spring onions and chilli.
• Crack the eggs into a small bowl so they are ready to slide into the pan.

Steps

1. Warm the baguettes in a hot oven or under the grill for 4 minutes until the crust is crisp.
2. Set two small cast iron skillets or one large frying pan over medium heat.
3. Add 1 tbsp of butter and the 1 tbsp of oil and let the butter foam.
4. Fry the sliced onion for 2 minutes until it softens at the edges.
5. Push the onion to one side of the pan.
6. Add the pork sausage or bacon and fry it for 2 minutes until the edges brown.
7. Slide the eggs in gently so the yolks stay whole.
8. Cook the eggs for 3 minutes over medium-low heat until the whites are set but the yolks are still liquid.
9. Dot the remaining 1 tbsp of butter around the edge of the pan and tilt it so the butter runs under the eggs.
10. Splash the Maggi seasoning over the whites, avoiding the yolks.
11. Grind the black pepper generously over everything.
12. Scatter the sliced spring onion over the top and take the pan off the heat.
13. Arrange the cucumber, tomato, pickled carrot and daikon and cilantro on the side of the pan or on a small plate.
14. Serve the skillet immediately with the warm baguette, the sliced pate and the chilli, and eat by tearing the bread and dipping.