This Banh Mi pâté recipe follows the secrets of Hanoi’s most popular Banh Mi stall: it’s spiced to perfection, flavoursome and fresh!
During last year’s trip in Vietnam I discovered the delicious Banh Mi, a Vietnamese baguette sandwich with pâté, different types of ham, carrots, fresh coriander and daikon. To emphasise my newly discovered love for Banh Mi, I have to tell you that the last day I had one for breakfast, one for lunch, and one to take with me on the plane.
My boyfriend and I found a cute little stall with 10 chairs next to it called Banh Mi 25. As a matter of fact, it was ranked as the 2nd best restaurant in Hanoi on TripAdvisor. Due to our frequent visits we became friends with the owner, who shared some of his secrets with us. I was particularly interested in the pâté recipe, so he told me about the 5 secret spices he uses for his finger licking good baguettes.
Whether you have this inside a baguette (perfect to pack and take it with you), or simply have it tartine style on one slice of bread, this pâté recipe can be great for breakfast, a quick lunch, or even a great starter!
- 500g chicken liver
- 200g minced pork
- 2 soft boiled egg yolks
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 50g butter (for cooking)
- 1 tsp good quality fish sauce (optional)
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 25g butter (for final softness and texture)
- seeds from 1 black cardamom
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- salt to taste
- 1. Grind the spices together using a mortar and pestle, until they become a fine powder.
- 2. Chop the onion and the garlic. Heat the 50g of butter in a large pan and fry the garlic for 30 seconds on medium-high heat together with the spices, making sure they don't burn. Reduce the heat and add the onions. Cook them until soft, for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then to make sure they don't stick to the pan and burn.
- 3. Add the chicken livers, pork and salt to the pan and cook on medium heat until they are done through (approx. 15 minutes).
- 4. In the meantime, soft boil the egg. If the yolk is still runny, the texture of the pâté will become very creamy.
- 5. Once the meat is cooked, transfer everything to a bowl. Add the 25g of remaining butter, the egg yolks and brandy.
- 6. Hand blend until you obtain a creamy pâté. Refrigerate.
- Serve the pate with freshly baked bread, carrots, fresh coriander and cucumber! Sprinkle it with Sriracha for some spiciness.
Love, happyholism and nom-nom,
Ioana
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