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La Belle Cuisine
Mardi Gras 2013 - 12 February
New Orleans Po' Boys
Mardi Gras, 12 February 2002
Okay. I admit it. I led you astray the other day with a
very elaborate Mardi Gras menu. Sorry. I was just trying to make a
point. As in, on Mardi Gras Day you can EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT, because you
will fast on Ash Wednesday. Maybe even throughout the entire Lenten
period! (What a concept…) What we really eat
on Mardi Gras Day (assuming, of course, that we are taking part in the revelry),
is street food. We ain’t talkin’ McDonald’s here,
folks.)
Something substantial,
but not requiring that we be seated with a knife
and
fork to partake of it. Nothing fancy while we are dancing our way
through
the crowded streets, balancing our favorite libation in one hand and grabbing
for beads,
doubloons, cups, and trinkets with the other. The infamous Po’ Boy
is a natural,
although we will need to have at least one hand free. (Now that I
think of it, just have your sweetie feed you!) And while you won't
find one on
every street corner, rest
assured that po’ boys are
quite plentiful here. And
totally scrumptious.
First and
foremost, you need to know that when you order a Po’ Boy (or Poor
Boy,
if
you must) in New Orleans, the reply you are sure to hear is, “Dressed?”
No,
they are not stupid. Or blind. They simply want to know whether you want
your sandwich gussied up with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo and such, or
wit'
nuttin’ on it. And believe you me, the New Orleans pronunciation of
mayonnaise
is something I defy an out-of-towner to duplicate. Sort of
like MY-nez. Cannot
quite
manage it myself (alas), even though I have spent many years, off and on,
in
this glorious city.
Just a
touch of history, while we’re at it. What we know for sure is that the name
“po’ boy” derives from the fact that the sandwich originated as a way to
alleviate
the hunger of striking streetcar workers. 1914, I believe. And it seems to
be a
fact that the owners of Martin Brothers Grocery are to
be credited with this deliciously sloppy innovation.
We have heard all sorts of stories
surrounding the price of said po’ boys.
Some folks adamantly proclaim they
were free. Others insist they were sold
for 15 cents, while some say a
dime. In any case, they are one of the many,
many things I love about New
Orleans. And one of the first things I miss
when I have to leave…
Disillusionment can be cruel. While it is my distinct pleasure to
provide you with
the following recipes, I must honestly admit that you are
not going to be able to
enjoy an authentic New Orleans po’ boy unless you
have an excellent source for
freshly-baked crusty French bread. Otherwise,
you will wind up with just another
hoagie, or hero, or sub. You need bread
with a really crisp, crunchy crust and a
marvelously light crumb. Even
here, it is not that easy to get excellent French
bread these days. Sad.
Just get the very best bread you can. Or maybe even
bake your own!
What a concept...
And what do
we put inside this marvelous concoction? These days, just about anything
you like, I suppose. Emeril Lagasse is quite fond of the
Roasted Pork
and French Fry version, as well as his
Garlic Meatball creation. Bam! Why not?Speaking of which, why not
andouille, or Italian sausage? More traditionally,
though, you will be
offered oysters, shrimp, roast beef (absolutely dripping with gravy), ham,
or catfish.
For many po’
boy enthusiasts, the absolute quintessential version remains the “Famous Ferdi
Special” served at Mother’s,
in the CBD, New Orleans’ central
business district.
(Even the address is uniquely New Orleanian: on the corner
of Tchoupitoulas - pronounced <'chop-@-TOO-l@s> -
and Poydras. Love it!).
The Ferdi is loaded
with Mother's best baked ham,
roast beef, debris and gravy, shredded cabbage,
pickles, mayo, and both
yellow and Creole mustards. And a
Ferdi with cheese is called a Ralph. What
else?? (In case you are wondering
about “debris”, it refers
to all the beef
that falls into the gravy. Yum!)
Admittedly,
I am mighty fond of both the Ferdi Special and Mother’s Debris,
(although, alas, they are not what they once were), but
something there is about
a po’ boy that cries out for seafood. So let us
begin with some commentary (and
recipes, of course!) from what
we have long
considered the quintessential
New
Orleans restaurant:
Commander’s Palace… (And, no, they are not paying me
a dime, believe it or not!)
Commander's Kitchen:
Take Home the True Taste
of New Orleans with More
than 150 Recipes from
Commander's Palace Restaurant
by Ty Adelaide Martin and Jamie Shannon
2000, Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
 
“So
there I was on a panel with other restaurateurs and we were asked what we’d
like for our last meal. One said, ‘Foie gras.’ Another said, ‘Caviar.’ Yet
another said, ‘Truffles.’ Then it was my turn: ‘Oyster Po’ Boy, dressed.’
That’s how much
I love fried oysters. The ultimate Po’ Boy is made with
corn-fried oysters, just like the ones in this dish. And the keys to the
ultimate corn-fried oysters are these:
Don’t over-fry the oysters, and serve
them immediately after frying. This dish
cries out for a good amber beer…"
[from Abita Springs, perhaps?]
Corn-Fried Oysters with
Horseradish Cream
Makes 8
appetizer or 4 entrée servings
Horseradish Cream:
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup prepared horseradish
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Oysters:
8 cups vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup masa flour or fine-ground cornmeal
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup
Creole Seafood Seasoning, or to taste
40 raw oysters, shucked, in their own liquor
Kosher salt
Chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)
Make the horseradish cream first. (In fact, you can make it
in advance and reheat it.) In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the
vinegar and cream
to a boil. Add the horseradish and season with salt and
pepper. Simmer for
1 minute, or until sauce is hot. Remove from heat.
Then cook the oysters. In a 6-quart or large pot, heat the oil to 325 to
350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. While the oil heats, thoroughly combine
the flour, masa, cornmeal, and Creole seasoning in a large bowl
and dredge
each oyster in the mixture, letting the oyster liquor act as an adhesive.
Shake off excess coating, and set the oysters aside until all are coated.
Fry the oysters in small batches to avoid crowding and prevent a drop in
the
oil temperature. Cook the oysters for about 45 to 60 seconds, until
their
edges curl and turn crisp and brown. Pull the oysters from the oil
and drain
on a cloth towel. Season immediately with salt.
Serve immediately atop a pool of warm horseradish sauce, and garnish
with
chopped parsley, if desired.
Chef Jamie’s Tips: The key to
successful deep-frying – crisp food that’s
not
soggy - is making sure the
oil is hot enough so the food cooks without
absorbing oil yet not so hot
that the food burns. Some tips for this dish:
♦ Use clean oil, and never overcrowd the
fryer.
♦ Use a deep-fry thermometer to help you
keep the oil
at a constant temperature.
♦ Don’t overcook the sauce or you risk
losing the pungent
horseradish flavor.
Taste the horseradish before using
it,
because the flavor can vary from batch
to batch.
♦ Serve fried oysters immediately.
Or, make a
fantastic Oyster Po’ Boy, à la Commander's!
“Want to
make a to-die-for Oyster Po’ Boy? Easy: Spread this Creole Tartar
Sauce on
hot French bread, and add Creole or vine-ripened tomato slices,
Vidalia
onion slices, and quick-fried oysters.”
(Also
delicious on fried catfish, fried seafood or with vegetables.)
1 cup chopped kosher dill pickles, or
pickle relish of your
choice
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole mustard or
other coarse mustard
2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
2 teaspoons
Creole Seafood Seasoning, or
any Creole
seasoning mix,
or to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
Place the chopped pickles, green onions, mustard,
horseradish, hot
sauce, Creole seasoning, and mayonnaise in a bowl and mix
well. Add
the seasoning
if needed. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight
container for
up to 2 weeks.
Mercy,
mercy, mercy, somebody save me…
And by the way,
there is an interesting culinary legend to the effect that the
oyster po’
boy was once known as “la médiatrice”, or the peacemaker, as it
was what
dallying husbands brought home to assuage their wives. (Thanks to
Jane
and
Michael Stern, in “Real American Food”.)
Emeril, of
course, is an alumnus of Commander’s Palace. I daresay the influence during
his tenure was mutual. (Probably accounts for the fact that I am so taken
with both.) From Louisiana Real and Rustic (Emeril Lagasse and
Marcelle Bienvenu, 1996, William Morrow), we bring you Chef Emeril’s take
on catfish,
just right for a po’ boy…
Panfried Catfish with Lemon and Garlic
“...These panfried catfish fillets are golden and crisp on the outside,
smooth
and
hot within. Real Potato Salad is all that is needed to go with
them. My
friend
Mr. Thibodeaux prefers his catfish on a poor boy. He hollows
out a
loaf of crisp
French bread, lathers both sides with
Creole Tartar
Sauce and
fills the loaf
with fried fish, then washes it down with cold
Dixie beer.
Mon cher, c'est
bon, oui.”
4 catfish fillets (6 to 6 1/2 ounces each)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons
Rustic Rub
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Put the catfish in a shallow bowl. Add the lemon juice,
parsley, garlic
and
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the rub. Toss to coat
the catfish
evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Combine the cornmeal, flour and the remaining rub in another shallow
bowl.
Remove the catfish from the marinade and dredge in the corn-
meal
mixture,
coating evenly.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on
each
side, or until golden brown. Serve immediately. 4 servings.
Featured Archive Recipes:
Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches
Clarence and Lefty's Original
Roast Beef for Po' Boys
Emeril's Garlic Meatball Po' Boys
Emeril's Roast Pork and French Fry Po' Boy
French Quarter Muffuletta
Gizmo Grinders
Italian Sausage Grinder
Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
Mardi Gras Munchies
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