Grilled Chicken Banh Mi

Recipe by Laraine Perri

Karry Hosford

Substitute rotisserie chicken (oomphed with a splash of soy and a squeeze of lime) for an even speedier dish.

Ingredients

Chicken and marinade:: 2tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2tablespoons dark brown sugar; 4teaspoons Asian fishsauce; 1tablespoon vegetable oil; 2teaspoons soy sauce; 2-- garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1/2teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper; 1 1/2pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Quick Pickled Carrots:: 5tablespoons white vinegar; 1/4cup sugar; 1/4teaspoon coarse salt; 2cups shredded carrots
Sriracha Mayonnaise:: 1/3cup mayonnaise; 2teaspoons Sriracha (or to taste); 1/4teaspoon soy sauce
Assembly:: 2-- (12-inch long) light, crisp French baguettes; 1/2-- seedless cucumber, thinly sliced in 3-inch spears; 2-- jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced; 1/2cup cilantro springs

To prepare chicken marinade, combine lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce, oil, soy sauce, garlic and pepper in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat chicken well. Refrigerate 2 hours, turning once.
To prepare carrots, combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a wide, shallow bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add carrots. Toss well and set aside at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425F. Heat a grill pan to medium.
Remove chicken from marinade, and grill until thoroughly cooked, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Drain carrots.
Slice baguettes lengthwise and bake, cut sides up, 2 minutes, until just warm and lightly crisp. Spread mayonnaise mixture over cut sides of baguettes. Slice chicken and arrange over bottom halves of baguettes. Top with carrots, cucumber and jalapenos. Sprinkle cilantro sprigs on top. Close sandwiches and slice in half.

Recipe by Laraine Perri.