foodfood & drink
Winner of MasterChef 2021, Tom Rhodes, shares a few of his favourite recipes. Here's a step-by-step guide to these vibrant, seasonal dishes. Crispy Chicken Bánh Mì King of sandwiches What makes a great sandwich? In my mind it has to have both contrasts in textures and flavours. I want something soft, maybe spreadable, I want crisp and crunch, I want juicy to the point of dripping, sweet AND salty, I want spice and acidity, I want something deep in favour and yet light and refreshing. I’m high maintenance when it comes to sandwiches and I want it all. Keep your monotonous meal deals, your ham and cheese, your tuna mayo, I want the king of sandwiches. The sandwich that takes the crown, the bánh mì, can be found at street vendors across the Vietnam. Within the baguette lies a trove of cold cuts or slow roasted meats or delicious sausage, crunchy pickles, fragrant herbs and a myriad of condiments; there’s almost always a pâté of sorts, then maybe mayonnaise or butter and then perhaps sriracha or hoisin and maybe those you’re less familiar with like liquid seasoning or nuoc cham. I say the more condiments the better. In Vietnam these sandwiches cost maybe £1 at most, but that makes it no less deserving of royal reverence. Here is my Crispy Chicken Bánh Mì done the way I like it. It may not quite live up to baguettes I had in Vietnam they really know their stuff - but it’s a damn good sandwich. 28 | Rochdale Style
Ingredients (serves 2) 2 small - medium sized baguettes 4 boneless chicken thighs 2 tbsp vegetable oil Half a cucumber, thinly sliced Quick pickled veg (recipe below), drained Soft herbs (mint, coriander, Thai Basil, dill etc.) Condiments (mayo, sriracha, hoisin etc.) 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp sugar 2 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
1. Start by making a nuoc cham by combining fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, chilli and garlic with 2 tbsp cold water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and set aside.
4. When you’re ready to assemble, slice your baguettes in half horizontally, not going all the way through, leave a hinge like you would on a hot dog bun. Remove some of the bread inside to make room for the filling. 5. On the bottom half spread mayonnaise and on the top half spread hoisin. Slice your chicken and place this into the baguette and top with sriracha. Then place the cucumbers, followed by quick pickled veg and your herbs. Lastly spoon over the nuoc cham allowing it to dress the various elements and soak into the bread. Close the baguette up and enjoy.
2. Next heat a skillet over a medium high heat. Season the thighs liberally with salt and then once the pan is hot add the oil and place the chicken thighs in skin side down. I like to then cover the chicken thighs with a sheet of parchment paper or foil and then rest another heavy pan on top. This ensures the skin has maximum contact with the pan, allowing the skin to get super crispy. Cook the thighs without moving them or flipping them. Once the skin is crispy, about 3-4 minutes then flip them over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Don’t worry if they stick to the pan, continue to cook and check them and once the skin is crispy enough they will release naturally.
Quick Pickled Veg
3. Once your chicken is cooked set it aside and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. While the chicken is resting make sure you have the rest of your ingredients ready.
3. If using straight away then add vinegar and sugar to the vegetables and stir to combine. Leave to sit for 10 minutes, after this they are ready to consume. If preparing in advance, dilute the vinegar with 100ml of water. The vegetables will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients 250g firm vegetables (carrots, daikon, radish, beetroot etc.), sliced into thin strips or matchsticks 2 tsp salt 100ml white distilled vinegar 2 tsp sugar
1. Combine sliced vegetables and salt and set asides in a bowl for 5 minutes. 2. After 5 minutes drain an liquid from the bowl.
