1 tbsp fish sauce (I used Red Boat, but you can use any brand you have available)
½ tsp granulated sugar
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, finely minced
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp shallot, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used avocado oil)
330g (appx. 2) fresh turkey breast cutlets, pounded thin
2 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
2 x 8" French baguettes, sliced lengthwise and in half
2 tbsp mayonnaise
do chua (Vietnamese pickled daikon & carrot)
3 medium carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
1 medium daikon, cut into thin matchsticks
1 tsp coarse salt or kosher salt
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C boiling water
1/2 C white vinegar (or rice vinegar)
½ cucumber, sliced lengthwise
a few sprigs cilantro
1 jalapeno, sliced
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the fish sauce, sugar, minced lemongrass, soy sauce, garlic, shallot, and oil. Mix together. Add in the turkey breasts and coat each side with the marinade.
Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
Preheat grill to 200°C/392°F. Place marinated turkey breast onto the grill.
Cook for 5 minutes and carefully flip, cooking for another 5-6 minutes. Remove from grill and place onto a plate.
Cover the cooked turkey breasts with aluminum foil and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Assemble the banh mi sandwiches by spreading some butter on the bottom of the baguette and mayonnaise on the top half.
Add the grilled turkey breast, and top with do chua (pickled daikon and carrot), some cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno (if you like it a little spicy).
Enjoy immediately. Grilled Lemongrass Turkey Banh Mi sandwiches may be tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Another option is to keep the grilled lemongrass turkey and vegetables separately and assemble prior to eating.
Method for do chua:
Clean and sterilize a large (3 C) glass mason jar.
Place the carrots and daikon into a colander with 1 tsp of coarse pickling salt (if you don’t have that, use kosher salt). Gently massage the salt into vegetables for about 1 minute. Set aside for 5 minutes.
The vegetables will have produced some water. Gently press the vegetables against the colander to remove the water. Rinse the carrots and daikon under cold water to remove any excess salt and drain.
Use clean chopsticks to place the carrots and daikon into the sterilized jar.
In a large measuring cup, add ½ C granulated sugar, 1 C of boiling water, and ½ C white vinegar. Mix together with a whisk to dissolve all the sugar.
Carefully pour the liquid into the jar with the carrot and daikon. Ensure that the vegetables are submerged in the vinegar-sugar solution.
Cover the jar with a piece of parchment paper (to avoid any reaction with the vinegar to the metal from the lid) and tightly seal with the lid.
Store in the refrigerator. Do Chua is ready to eat after 30 minutes but will taste better after storage for a week.
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