Fish Banh Mi

Here’s our seafoodie spin on a Vietnamese classic – as delicious as it is colourful!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup (80ml) of milk
• 400g Gurnard fillets, cut into 10cm pieces
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 thick French baguette, cut into 4 x 20 cm pieces (or 4 rolls)
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced finely on the diagonal
• 2 green onions, sliced finely on the diagonal
• 1 long red chilli, sliced finely on the diagonal
• 8 large fresh coriander sprigs
• ½ cup picked Vietnamese mint (or Thai basil) leaves
• 1 lime, halved
• Pickled Vegetables
• ½ cup (110g) sugar
• ½ cup (125 ml) rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 2 large red radishes, sliced finely into thin disks
• Spicy Mayonnaise
• ¼ cup (75g) whole-egg
• mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoons sriracha or other chilli sauce

Method

Make the Quick Pickled Vegetables. Combine sugar, vinegar and salt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve, then set aside to cool. Add carrot and daikon or radish, and set aside for a further 30 minutes to pickle, then drain. (Retain the pickling liquid to use again or as part of a salad dressing.)

Make the Spicy Mayonnaise. Mix mayonnaise and Sriracha together until combined. Set aside.

Combine the turmeric and flour in a bowl, then season generously with salt and pepper. Put the milk into another bowl. Dip the fish pieces in the milk mixture, then in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

Heat the oil in a frypan over medium heat. Cook the fish, in batches, turning, for 3-4 minutes or until golden.

To assemble the banh mi, cut the baguette pieces in half lengthways. Spoon spicy mayonnaise onto both sides of the baguette.

Fill with the fish pieces, cucumber, green onion, chilli, pickled vegetables, coriander and Vietnamese mint. Squeeze over lime juice and serve.

Alternatively lay all the ingredients out on a platter and allow everyone to assemble their own banh mi.

Notes

Alternative Species: Snapper, Flathead, Blue-eye Trevalla, Murray Cod.