Equipment
Ingredients
Seafood & Marinade
- 400 g tiger prawns, peeled, deveined, tails left on
- 300 g squid tubes, cleaned, sliced open to lie flat
- 40 g lemongrass, finely minced, pale inner core only
- 4 garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 20 g honey
- 30 ml neutral cooking oil
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Pickled Vegetables (Do Chua)
- 100 g carrots, peeled and julienned
- 100 g daikon radish, peeled and julienned
- 60 ml white vinegar
- 60 ml warm water
- 25 g white sugar
- 3 g salt
Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 30 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 60 ml warm water
- 20 g white sugar
- 1 garlic, minced
- 1 bird's eye chili, thinly sliced
Baguette & Garnishes
- 4 individual baguettes
- 60 g mayonnaise
- 100 g cucumber, sliced longitudinally into thin spears
- 15 g cilantro, fresh sprigs, washed and dried
- 20 g jalapeno or green chili, thinly sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 630 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbohydrates
- 67 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 23 g
- Sodium
- 2269 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 342 mg
- Potassium
- 929 mg
- Calcium
- 182 mg
- Iron
- 5.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 132 mg
- Phosphorus
- 509 mg
- Zinc
- 3.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 237 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 25 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 46 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.58 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.69 mg
- Niacin
- 6.0 mg
- Folate
- 127 mcg
- Water
- 325 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Submerge bamboo skewers in cold water to soak for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.
Prepare the pickles. In a medium bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt into the warm water and white vinegar. Add the julienned carrots and daikon, tossing to combine. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Prepare the squid. Working on the inside of the flattened squid tubes, gently score a crosshatch diamond pattern taking care not to cut all the way through. Cut the scored squid into 4-centimeter squares.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the minced lemongrass, garlic, shallot, fish sauce, oyster sauce, honey, cooking oil, and black pepper. Add the prawns and squid pieces, tossing thoroughly to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Always wash hands and sanitize surfaces after handling raw seafood.
Thread the marinated prawns and scored squid squares onto the soaked bamboo skewers, alternating between them. Keep the pieces relatively flat so they make even contact with the grill.
Make the dipping sauce. Whisk together the warm water, sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the minced garlic and chili. Set aside.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat to approximately 200°C/400°F. Brush the grates lightly with oil. Grill the seafood skewers for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the prawns are pink and opaque (reaching 63°C/145°F internally) and the squid is deeply curled and slightly charred.
Lightly toast the baguettes, then slice them open lengthwise. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the inside. Layer with cucumber spears, then gently slide the hot grilled seafood off the skewers directly into the bread. Top with a generous amount of drained pickled carrots and daikon, fresh cilantro sprigs, and sliced chilies. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce on the side.
Chef's Notes
- Scoring the squid not only makes it tender by breaking down the dense muscle fibers, but it creates deep crevices for the lemongrass marinade to cling to, maximizing flavor.
- Vietnamese baguettes use a combination of wheat and rice flour, which gives them their characteristic airy, cotton-like interior and exceptionally crispy, shattering crust. If using standard French baguettes, hollow out some of the interior crumb to make room for the fillings.
- For the lemongrass, only use the pale, tender inner core of the bottom third of the stalk. The tough outer green layers will remain fibrous and woody even after cooking.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce for the sandwich itself rather than a dipping format, you can reduce the dipping sauce in a small pan with a slurry of cornstarch until syrupy, then drizzle it directly over the filling.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store disassembled components separately. Pickled vegetables will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Reheating: Reheat seafood components very briefly in a hot pan or microwave just to warm through. Toast baguettes in the oven.
Troubleshooting
Squid is tough and rubbery to chew
Cause: The squid was overcooked on the grill or cooked at too low a temperature
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the grill is thoroughly preheated so the seafood chars quickly. Squid requires brief, high-heat cooking (usually under 2 minutes per side).
Marinade burns on the grill before seafood is cooked
Cause: Grill temperature is too high, causing the honey and sugars in the marinade to carbonize
Fix: Move skewers to a cooler zone on the grill to finish cooking gently
Prevention: Wipe excess marinade off the skewers before grilling. Maintain medium-high heat rather than maximum heat.
Cultural Context
Banh Mi is a hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine, originating as a product of French colonialism before being adapted with distinctly Vietnamese ingredients. While traditionally featuring cold cuts, paté, or grilled pork, coastal variations often highlight the country's abundant fresh seafood. The combination of charred, aromatic proteins against sweet-tart pickles and herbaceous cilantro creates a perfect balance of yin and yang, a core philosophy in Vietnamese cooking.
