A mediterrasian sandwich,tuna bahn -mi

If I said Mediterrasian you would immediately assume or think of fusion food. Well in a
roundabout way you are not wrong.
Vietnam was a French colony from 1885 to 1954, and over that time certain French foods such baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise became integrated into the Vietnamese diet. Remnants of French colonization can still be seen in Vietnamese cuisine today, and the tastiest example of this is banh mi (pronounced ‘bun me’), a Vietnamese sandwich with a distinctly French influence.
The base of this mouthwatering sandwich is a light and crispy baguette, typically with a lick of mayonnaise. Added to this is often pâté, but other popular fillings include barbecued pork, chicken, ham, seared tofu, eggs and fish. Then come all the wonderful hot, salty, sour and sweet Vietnamese flavours from pickled vegetables, soy or fish sauce,
chilli, and sprigs of mint and fresh coriander.
This recipe is my take on banh mi, using staples that I always have in the pantry and fridge. As the main filling ingredient I make my own fish "pâté" from mashed canned tuna, fish sauce, spring onions and mayo. It has the perfect consistency for smearing on the base of a halved baguette.I then add the pickled vegetables (Kimchi works beautifully here) top it with a bit more tuna chunks and hey ho an exotic and unusual flavour packed Vietnamese lunch that´s packed with a wonderful array of ingredients that are so good for you.
Banh mi makes a particularly excellent contribution to a picnic basket in summer much as a pan bagna would ), and it can also be sliced into small portions and served as finger food.

Tuna bahn -mi

1 - 16 oz can tuna packed in water, drained
2 tablespoons soy sauce
dollop of mayo
tsp balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon sesame oil
Pickled
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 soft French baguettes

 

Toppings 

Kimchi (optional)

Carrots, julienned
Jalapenos, sliced
Pickled Cucumbers, sliced
coriander, mint

In a medium sized bowl, add tuna, mayo, soy sauce, finely minced garlic, granulated sugar, balsamic and sesame oil. Mix until well combined. For a spicy kick, you can add finely diced Thai chili peppers. Set aside for now.
To make these Vietnamese style tuna banh mi, toast two soft French baguettes until the outside is crispy but the inside is still soft. Slice these 6 inch baguettes in half and open it up.
On one side of the bread, spread tuna pate mix.
Top with the vegetables and finish  with some more tuna seasoned tuna as desired.