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One of my favorite sandwiches of all time is the Vietnamese bánh mì. When I lived in New York City, there was a great Vietnamese sandwich joint, Hanco’s, not far from my apartment. I would go there whenever I had a day off and gorge myself. Everything about a bánh mì is great, but for me, what always stands out are the pickles, specifically the pickled carrots. We often overlook carrots as a star ingredient, so I took it upon myself to create a pickled carrot that would be a showstopper. Of course, these carrots work as the garnish to any sandwich, but I like them front and center in a salad, topped with fresh herbs and peanuts. — From House of Vinegar by Jonathon Sawyer. Buy this book from Indiebound or Amazon.
Reprinted with permission from House of Vinegar by Jonathon Sawyer, copyright © 2018. Photography by Peter Larson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Using a mandoline, slice the carrots into 1⁄8-inch-thick planks. Run your knife lengthwise through the planks, cutting into matchsticks. Put the carrots, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf into a 1-quart mason jar.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the carrot greens, vinegar, water, salt, sugar, fish sauce, carrot seeds, and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Then, remove from the heat and let the pickling liquid cool a bit (it should still be warm).
Pour the pickling liquid over the carrots. Allow to cool to room temperature, put the lid on the jar, and transfer to the refrigerator for 48 hours to pickle. The pickle will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 months.
