Chatelaine

Vietnamese chefs and restaurant owners share their favourite bánh mì recipes, including plant-based and meat options.

In the summer of 1992, late novelist and food writer Laurie Colwin published a spectacular corn-and-tomato pie in her book, Home Cooking. Made with a thin biscuit crust, it was inspired by a similar James Beard recipe. It’s wonderful straight from the oven, at room temperature or cold— so it’s perfect picnic fare. This is a streamlined version: The original and its many adaptations call for peeling the tomatoes and removing their seeds and juice, which is unnecessary. If you’re worried about juiciness, opt for plum or Roma tomatoes.

Corn lends a nutty sweetness to risotto, and this recipe is a great way to use up leftover cobs. Try adding grape tomatoes, chopped mushrooms or spinach along with the corn. Or add fresh shrimp or small scallops to risotto during the last few minutes of cooking time, covering the pot to allow them to gently cook through.

Maize is a key ingredient in warm and cold beverages around the world. This deliciously creamy version, popular in Guatemala and other Latin American countries, highlights the sweetness of corn and can be served warm or chilled. It can even be turned into a milkshake by blending the chilled milk mixture with vanilla ice cream.

Grilled corn on the cob, slathered with spiced crema and sprinkled with cotija—a mild Mexican cheese—and other toppings, is a wonderful way to enjoy corn at its peak. It’s particularly well-suited to a DIY bar: Lay out a few options and let your guests add their own toppings.

No bánh mì would be complete without a schmear of bơ.  This recipe is courtesy of Joseph Nguyên of Tâm Vietnamese Street Food and Café in Toronto.

Bánh mì xíu mại is Vietnam’s very own meatball sub (“xíu mại” means meatballs in tomato sauce). Try this recipe from Joseph Nguyên, the owner of Tâm, a Vietnamese street-food joint in Toronto. Use the meatballs as the main filling for your bánh mì as we do here, or take a lesson from the chef and turn the recipe into a flavourful spread to accompany a classic bánh mì with cold cuts.

Taking inspiration from traditional bánh mì, chefs Sara Lee and Rod Dyquiangco continue to expand their menu to include more plant-based options at their contemporary Toronto café, Rustle & Still. In this recipe, tofu and mushrooms soak up a sweet and savoury sauce made from pantry staples including soy sauce and five-spice powder.

Chef Linh Lê Kim of Ăn Chè Desserts in Montreal shares the recipe for this classic bánh mì accoutrement.

For chef Tara Lê, owner of Bánh Mì Metro in Scarborough, Ont., bánh mì was a lunchtime staple growing up. Of all the varieties her mother used to make, grilled pork was her favourite. This is her mother’s recipe, in which boneless pork shoulder is marinated in a bold and aromatic sauce.

Our advice for cooling down is to dig into a stash of homemade ice pops.

Tarragon mayo adds an instant kick to this sandwich, making it a quick and delicious weeknight meal.