Milk Street Digital Class: Banh Mi with Andrea Nguyen

There is basically just one sandwich in Vietnam: Bánh Mì. Join Andrea Nguyen, author of seven cookbooks—one of which is literally “The Bánh Mì Handbook”—for a livestream class where you’ll make this Vietnamese favorite with a twist. Andrea will turn your idea of Bánh Mì inside out: rather than serving it up in a baguette, you’ll make it bundled up in crisp lettuce leaves. You get everything you love from Bánh Mì—tender bread, a savory shallot and shiitake topping, fragrant sesame green onion oil, crunchy peanuts—in a smaller package that makes for a joyful shared meal. For dunking, you’ll make a batch of homemade Nước Chấm, a must-have sauce on the Vietnamese table. Combining savory fish sauce, punchy chili-garlic sauce and a drizzle of agave syrup or honey, this sauce is a lesson in balance. As we cook, you’ll learn how this French-Vietnamese sandwich came to be and get variation ideas from Andrea. Then, to satisfy your sweet tooth, you’ll make a batch of brittle studded with roasted peanuts and sesame seeds. The result is a snappy candy that’s perfectly balanced by toasty, savory flavors. You’ll come away from this class with dinner and dessert and a renewed appreciation for Vietnamese cuisine.