{"id":7341,"date":"2025-06-15T08:53:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-14T22:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/?p=7341"},"modified":"2025-06-15T09:26:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-14T23:26:48","slug":"duck-banh-mi-with-cherry-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/index.php\/lunching-on-leftovers\/duck-banh-mi-with-cherry-sauce\/","title":{"rendered":"Duck Banh Mi with Cherry Sauce"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Banh Mi is a classic Vietnamese Sandwich that is famous worldwide. With its irresistible flavors and wonderful mixture of textures, it\u2019s a delicious lunchtime favorite for so many people. This is our interpretation of this classic dish that\u2019s usually served with Pork or Chicken. Instead, we are making Duck Banh Mi with Cherry Sauce. The combination of Duck and Cherry is a classic pairing, mixing the fattiness of the Duck with the sweet, fruity flavors of Cherries. In a crust bread sandwich filled with delicious aromatics and flavors it\u2019s a real treat to enjoy!

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Jump to Recipe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The inspiration for this dish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our delicious Duck Bahn Mi came from another tasty Duck dinner we recently made. Our tasty Crispy Duck Leg recipe<\/a> that comes with a beautiful Cherry Sauce was a wonderful meal we enjoyed a few nights ago. There was an abundance of leftover sauce so we wanted to see what kind of fun way we could re-interpret the dish

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Lunchtime is a great way to experiment with leftovers, which is exactly what we did with this dish. Unfortunately, we were all out of that beautiful Crispy Duck Leg from the night before, so a quick trip to the shops sorted us out with some amazing Duck Breasts

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\"Crispy<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This beautiful Duck Leg recipe was the inspiration behind this sandwich. You can even use leftover Duck Leg for the Banh Mi if you like!

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Then, the whole dish came together as some delicious Banh Mi bread rolls were sitting there just begging to be purchased and eaten! A quick trip down the produce aisle to get some classics of Carrot, Cilantro, and Cucumbers and the dish was ready to be made!

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An addition to the classic Banh Mi ingredients that we added is Red Cabbage. The bitterness of the Cabbage is famously paired with Duck, and works exceptionally well in this recipe

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Cooking Duck Banh Mi with Cherry Sauce from scratch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As we had some leftover Cherry Sauce it was a simple reheat, but of course we\u2019ll share with you how to make the whole dish from scratch in this recipe. A little secret we can share with you; the sauce is so simple to make, as is the rest of the dish!

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First step is the Duck. Now, usually when we\u2019re cooking Duck we like to dry it out for a few days in the refrigerator to get the skin to an almost leather-like state. For the best result, we absolutely recommend doing that (just leave it uncovered in the fridge skin-side up), however, for a simple Lunchtime dish it\u2019s probably unlikely you\u2019ll have some duck already dried out. No biggie, you can still get the Duck skin nice and crispy

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Simply Score the Duck skin with diagonal cuts across its surface and then season the skin well with Salt. This will help to not only draw out the moisture of the skin, but the scoring of the skin ensures the fat will easily render once it starts to cook. Just avoid cutting too deep to slice into the flesh. Just cut deep enough to cut through the skin and fat without slicing the skin

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\"Crispy
Cook the Duck perfectly by slowly cooking it skin side down starting from a cold pan. This will render out the fat and result in a beautiful, crispy skin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Pan fry the Duck starting with a cold pan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A classic method for cooking perfect Duck Breast is starting the Duck skin-side down in a cold pan. Gradually heat the pan up over a medium low heat and slowly cook the Duck until the fat has completely rendered out and the skin is crispy

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This process will take about 20 minutes or so. Just keep your eye on the Duck and preferably use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the Duck. Once it\u2019s almost completely cooked (when the internal temperature is around 120F or so) flip it over and finish it on the flesh side. Set the Duck aside to rest and then slice it into strips to fit into your Banh Mi

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Cherry Sauce<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Cherry Sauce is one of the easiest sauces to make. No long 2+ day processes required, or homemade Stocks needed. Simply cook down some Shallots in Butter then add some Red Wine and let it thicken and burn off the alcohol

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Then, simply add the same quantity of Cherry Jam \/ Jelly as you did Wine and let that all come together over a light simmer for 10 minutes and it\u2019s done! I recommend making a big batch of it so you have more than enough Sauce for this dish as well as some leftovers

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\"Duck
The Cherry Sauce in our Duck Banh Mi truly makes the dish unique. It’s so tasty!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To pickle the Vegetables or not?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now a classic Banh Mi uses pickled Carrots and Cucumber. The pickling adds a nice contrast to the fattiness of the meat (which is usually fatty Pork Belly or Shoulder) and is a hallmark characteristic of a classic Banh Mi Sandwich

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For our recipe we\u2019re keeping the pickling optional. The big flavors that the Duck and Cherry Sauce bring to the sandwich are more than enough to keep the dish interesting, and making Pickled Veggies is just a whole other process which is honestly not required

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If you want to Pickle the Veggies, slice them up into thin strips (julienne the Carrots and thinly slice the Cucumber) then submerge them in a pickling liquid. You can either use Vinegar and Salt, Lemon Juice and Salt, or a mixture of Sugar, Hot Water, and Vinegar. Just let the Vegetables sit in there for a few hours to pickle. Pat them dry then they\u2019re ready to use

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\"Making
Assemble your Duck Banh Mi by laying the Cabbage, Carrot, and Cucumbers into the Bread. Top with Duck Slices and finish with the Cherry Sauce and fresh Cilantro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Assembling the Duck Banh Mi with Cherry Sauce Sandwich<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to use a specific \u2018Banh Mi\u2019 style bread, but we do recommend a crusty-style bread in the shape of a roll. Even some freshly baked crusty Hot Dog buns are going to do the trick. You do want a crusty outside, however. This gives the sandwich its hallmark texture, but also helps to keep the whole dish together

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Add a few slices of your Carrots and Cucumber then add a generous portion of the Duck on the top. You should be able to completely use 1 Duck Breast for 1 sandwich, provided you\u2019ve got big enough bread rolls. Really try to jam the Duck in there, as another characteristic of Banh Mi is its abundance of filling!

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Finish the dish off with that beautiful Cherry Sauce and top it off with fresh Cilantro and we\u2019re ready to eat! You can get fancy and add some freshly chopped Peanuts for some added texture if you like

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