Recipe: Bánh Mì Trứng Ốp Lết (Shallot and Green Onion Omelet Bánh Mì)
Soft, steamy, and fluffy eggs are packed with oniony flavor to make a simple and delicious breakfast sandwich
Mayonnaise coats the inside of a soft baguette with a crisp exterior. A fluffy and steamy omelet cooked with green onions and shallots fill the sandwich. Crunchy and cool cucumber adds some freshness and temperature contrast to the bite. A few dashes of Maggi seasoning sauce adds a burst of savory flavor, while a bit of sriracha provides some spicy and sweet notes. Add some pâté for extra flavor and creaminess.
This recipe was inspired by Helen Le’s omelet recipe. Vegan eaters should check out Helen’s Recipes for a good vegan bánh mì recipe.
Learn more about the inspiration for this dish and the story behind it: Crispy Pillows for Everything Under the Sun
Learn more about why and how this dish works: Notes on Bánh Mì.
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves one
Ingredients:
Bread:
1 Vietnamese bánh mì (You can substitute with bolillos/pan francés or light french baguettes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Try to find a Vietnamese bakery in your area/city.)
Omelet:
2 eggs
1 shallot
1 green onion
fish sauce
a pinch of sugar
Sauces:
mayonnaise (either store-bought, or homemade)
Maggi seasoning sauce (soy sauce works as well)
sriracha (optional)
chili jam (optional)
For homemade mayo:
1 egg (use just the yolk for a richer color and flavor)
⅓ cup vegetable oil, or enough to make mayo thicken up
a pinch of salt
black pepper
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Condiments:
1 cucumber
1 green chili pepper (optional, but not according to Vy Ưng’s mom)
Tools needed:
cutting board
serrated and non-serrated knife
a few bowls
Suggested directions:
Wash your hands and prepare your ingredients and tools.
Trim the stem from the green chili and slice it thinly lengthwise or at an angle to make long and thin chili slices.
Trim the ends of the cucumber, and slice lengthwise or at an angle, similar to the chili.
At this point, you can make your own mayonnaise, or you can just use store-bought mayo. I chose to make some by mixing an egg and a pinch of salt, and whisking it for a long time. While whisking, slowly drip vegetable oil into the egg mixture. After a while, the egg and oil emulsion will start to form, becoming thiccer with more oil added. Make sure oil is added in slowly at the beginning, otherwise oil will not be dispersed properly throughout the egg.
Chop up the green onions and put them in a bowl with the eggs, fish sauce, and some sugar.
Slice the shallot and fry on high heat for around 20 seconds, then pour in the egg mixture and move around a bit to cook thoroughly.
Flip over the omelet, and when it’s a tad crispy and browned, turn off the heat.
Toast the bánh mì and cut it open leaving the corners intact. Organize the ingredients to create a little bánh mì factory with the bread, sauces, fillings, and condiments. I also like to rip out some bread crumb to leave more room for fillings. I eat it with some pâté or butter later on.
Layer the bánh mì with mayo, sriracha, chilis, and cucumbers.
Stuff the omelet in there and add any sauce you’d like. I go heavy on the mayo and add additional sriracha and Maggi seasoning sauce. Now it’s ready to eat!