SAUSAGE, PEPPER, AND ONIONS PO BOY

ingredients1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage 2 red bell peppers, sliced 2 yellow onions, sliced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup Marsala wine 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional 4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls, optional

DirectionsHeat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brownon both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain. Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer. Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Serve in bowls. Or, if serving as a sandwich, split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.

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THE HISTORY OF THE PO BOY SANDWICH

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PO BOY SANDWICHES

A po' boy (also po-boy, po boy, or poor boy) is a traditional submarine sandwich from Louisiana. It almost always consists of meat, usually roast beef, or fried seafood, or sometimes chicken or ham. The meat is served on baguette-like New Orleans French bread, known for its crisp crust and fluffy center.[1]

A key ingredient that differentiates po' boys from other submarine sandwiches is the bread.[1]Typically, the French bread comes in 10 oz (280 g), 32 in (81 cm) long "sticks". Standard sandwich sizes might be a "shorty", measuring 57.5 inches (1319 cm); a quarter po'boy, 8 inches (20 cm); half po'boy, about 16 inches (41 cm); and a full po'boy, at about 32 inches (81cm) long.[citation needed] The traditional versions are served hot and include fried shrimp and oysters. Soft shell crab, catfish, crawfish, Louisiana hot sausage, fried chicken breast, roast beef, and French fries are other common variations. The last two are served with gravy.[2]A "dressed" po' boy has lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayonnaise; onions are optional. Fried seafood poboys are often dressed by default with melted butter and sliced pickle rounds. A Louisiana style hot sauce is optional. Non-seafood po' boys will also usually have mustard; the customer is expected to specify "hot" or "regular"the former being a coarse-grained Creole mustard and the latter being American yellow mustard.[3]The New Orleans roast beef po' boy is generally served hot with gravy and resembles a Chicago Italian beef sandwich in appearance and method of preparation, although the size, bread, and toppings differ. To make it, a cut of beef (usually chuck or shoulder) is typically simmered in beef stock with seasonings such as garlic, pepper, thyme, and bay for several hours.[3] The beef can be processed into "debris" by cutting it to shreds when done (folklore

says that a po' boy roast is done when it "falls apart with a hard stare")[citation needed] and simmering the shredded beef in the pot for a longer time to absorb more of the juice and seasoning.The sandwich was featured on the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like.In the late 1800s fried oyster sandwiches on French loaves were known in New Orleans and San Francisco as "oyster loaves", a term still in use. A sandwich containing both fried shrimp and fried oysters is often called a "peacemaker" or "La Mediatrice".[4]There are countless stories as to the origin of the term "po' boy". A popular local theory claims that "po' boy", as specifically referring to a type of sandwich, was coined in a New Orleans restaurant owned by Benny and Clovis Martin (originally from Raceland, Louisiana),former streetcar conductors.[5] In 1929, during a four-month strike against the streetcar company, the Martin brothers served their former colleagues free sandwiches.[5] The Martins' restaurant workers jokingly referred to the strikers as "poor boys", and soon the sandwiches themselves took on the name.[5] In Louisiana dialect, this is naturally shortened to "po' boy."[5]New Orleans is known for its grand restaurants (see Louisiana Creole cuisine), but more humble fare like the po' boy is very popular.[6] Po' boys may be made at home, sold pre-packaged in convenience stores, available at deli counters and most neighborhood restaurants.[6] One of the most basic New Orleans restaurants is the po' boy shop, and these shops often offer seafood platters, red beans and rice, jambalaya, and other basic Creole dishes.[6]In 1896, George Leidenheimer founded his bakery, Leidenheimer Baking Company, on Dryades Street. In 1904, the bakery moved to Simon Bolvar Avenue where the family business still operates, and is one of the primary sources of po' boy bread.[1] [3] Some former street car workers opened their own sandwich shop and used cut potatoes and roast beef gravy to make the first poor boy sandwich.[7] There is fierce competition between po' boy shops, and resident opinions of the best po' boy shop varies widely.[2] [8]Each year there is a festival in New Orleans dedicated to the po' boy, the Oak Street Po'Boy Festival.[9] It is a one-day festival that features live music, arts, and food vendors with multiple types of po' boys. It is held in mid-November along a commercial strip of Oak Streetin the city's Carrollton neighborhood.[9] The festival gives "best-of" awards, which gives the chefs an incentive to invent some of the most creative po' boys.[8]Authentic versions of Louisiana-style po' boys can be found along the Gulf Coast, from Houston through the Florida Panhandle. The term "po' boy" has spread further and can be found on the Southeastern seaboard and in California, where it may instead refer to local variations on the submarine sandwich.In New Orleans, "Vietnamese Po' boy" is another name for the bnh m . This Vietnamese sandwich can be found in stores and restaurants throughout the city (for example at Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery), owing to the influence of Vietnamese immigrants, who brought with them Vietnamese-French bakeries.[10]South Africans have a similar sandwich called a Gatsby which is a sandwich on a long roll, usually stuffed with French fries, lettuce, tomato and a meat (often chicken or Vienna sausages).The Po Boy has taken on many variations over time. The ingredients that were primarily usedwere inexpensive. That is not the case today. In the 60s and 70s in Oklahoma, shrimp and oysters were not readily available. It was truly a poor boy sandwich. Bologna and American

cheese were the primary ingredients with just a little ham and cotto salami to change the flavor of part of the sandwich.

SHRIMP PO BOYS

Shrimp Po Boys with Remoulade Slaw (Shrimp inspired by Paul Prudhommes spice blendfor BBQ Shrimp)1 pound medium Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed1/4 cup Flour1/2 teaspoon Salt1/2 teaspoon White Pepper1/2 teaspoon Paprika1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder1/4 teaspoon Thyme1/4 teaspoon Oregano1/4 teaspoon Aleppo Pepper1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter4 French Rolls, cut in half and toastedsliced Tomato, optionalsliced Green Onion, optionalRemoulade Slaw, recipe followsCombine dry spices in a small bowl. Combine with flour and mix well.Pat shrimp dry, then dredge in the flour mixture. Heat butter in a skillet over medium high heat. When butter has melted, start adding shrimp to the pan. Cook just until the shrimp startsto turn pink, then turn over to cook an additional 1- 2 minutes.

Remove shrimp to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove any excess oils. Arrange each sandwich by placing some remoulade slaw on a toasted french roll. Lay 8 10 shrimp over the slaw and top with tomato slices and green onions if desired.Makes 4 sandwiches.

Remoulade Slaw (adapted from Cooking Light Magazine July 2012)3 tablespoons Mayonnaise1 tablespoon minced Shallots1 teaspoon Lemon Juice1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard1/2 teaspoon Prepared Horseradish1/4 teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce (such as Franks or Tabasco)1/4 teaspoon Lemon Zest1 clove Garlic, grated on a microplane grater2 1/2 cups packaged Coleslaw mixCombine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl to make remoulade sauce. Add coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate.

The New Po' Boy

INGREDIENTS 2 cups cornmeal 12 oysters, drained of liquor 1 cup buttermilk 3 strips thick-cut bacon, sliced thinly widthwise 1 large shallot, peeled and sliced thin small head of green cabbage, sliced thin green apple, peeled and diced 1 Tbsp apple-cider vinegar 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 4 brioche buns, split in half and toastedMETHOD

Lightly dust a large plate with cornmeal and set aside. Coat oysters in the buttermilk, and then dredge them in cornmeal and arrange on the plate, lightly dusting with more cornmeal. Refrigerate up to an hour before cooking.

Beef Po' Boy

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:2lbs beef stew meat 2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons vegetable oil cup flour cup red wine 1 cups beef broth 1 cups chicken broth 1 large loaf French bread 1 head of ice berg large lettuce (shredded) 2 large tomatoes (sliced) dill pickle slices mayonnaise

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the beef cubes. Heat vegetable oil in a large deep skillet to medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes to the skillet and cook until brown. Sprinkle the flour over the beef cubes and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until it has nearly the slow cooker, at this point the mixture can be put in the slow cooker and cooked for 5-6 hours on low or until the meat shreds easily).

2. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour and 30 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until the meat shreds apart easily. Shred the meat in the pan using either two forks or should be able to press down on it with a slotted spoon to break it up. Slice the French bread in half lengthwise. Spread a layer of mayonnaise onto the cut sides of the bread. Spread the meat with some of the gravy onto the top of the bottom half of the French bread. Top with lettuce, tomato, and pickles.

CRAB PO BOY

cup mayonnaise1 egg1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning teaspoon red pepper flakesjuice of one lemon2 cups crabmeat (8 ounces) cup bread crumbs cup mozzarella, grated cup red bell pepper, diced cup scallions, minced1 cup bread crumbs, divided2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil8 bratwurst buns, toastedshredded iceberg lettucepurchased tartar sauceWhisk mayonnaise, egg, Old Bay, pepper flakes and lemon juice together in a large bowl.

Gently stir in crab, cup bread crumbs, mozzarella, bell pepper and scallions.Form mixture into golf ball-size cakes. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet that's been sprinkled with cup bread crumbs. Sprinkle tops with remaining bread crumbs, press cakes to flatten, then chill for 30 minutes to set.Fry cakes in batches in 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick pan. Cook untilgolden, 3-4 minutes per side, then drain on paper towels.Arrange 3 cakes on each toasted bun, then top with lettuce and tartar sauce.

BLT PO BOY

Add Extra Cheese (American, Swiss, Cheddar or Mozzarella) .75Add Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles & Mayo Dressed, Baby! .60Can be made on a Leidenheimer Po-Boy Bun or Triple-Deck Texas Toast

ALLIGATOR AND CRAYFISH PO BOY

2 pounds chopped alligator tail meat (I pay $7.50/lb, so if you can find it it should be around there)1/2 cup waterPinch of flour2 cups chopped bell pepper, I used green, orange, and yellow1 cup yellow onion1 cup green onion2 tablespoons parsley1/2 cup lemon juiceGarlic to taste, mincedCajun seasoning such as Tony Chachere's (pronounced Satch-Er-Ay) or Savoire's (pronounced Sav-Wa). Tony's, as we call it down here, is the more popular of the two, and in my opinion is also the better of the two.Pinch of cayenne pepper1/2 Tsp of hot sauce such as Tabasco1/2 pound crawfish tail meat6 slices Swiss cheese1/2 cup (1/2 stick) buttera bit of Chardonnay2 loaves of Italian bread (po-boys are traditionally french bread)

Herb Butter1 cup (2 sticks) butter1 teaspoon garlic salt2 teaspoons parsley1 tsp lemon juiceGarlic (minced) to taste

Let's get to cookin'

The pile of white meat in the middle is 2 lbs of Louisiana Alligator meat. I was going to get fresh crawfish tails instead of packaged, but hurricane Rita really put a hitch in my area's normally abundant crawfish farming.

I obtained the meat from a place near me called Hebert's Specialty Meats, which happens to be where the world-famous Turducken was invented. The Turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. The alligator meat ran me $15 for 2 lbs.

I tried to get my meat from a local alligator farm, as it would have probably been cheaper, butthey wouldn't answer the phone.

CATFISH PO BOY

Ingredients1 pounds Cat Fish pieces 1/4 cup Cornmeal 1/4 cup flour 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Canola Oil 1/2 cup Tartar Sauce 4 Soft French Rolls, split 1/2 head Lettuce 1 large Tomato, sliced

DirectionsHeat the oil in fryer to 350 degrees.Combine cornmeal, flour, Old Bay, and garlic powder in a large, shallow dish.Whisk buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and cayenne together in a shallow dish.Wash and blot catfish fillets using paper towels. Then dip each fillet into the buttermilkmixture. Dredge both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Shake off excess breading.Fry the fillets a few at a time until golden brown, turning once about 8 to 10 minutes.Dont over crowd the fry pan.Finish frying the fish and lay on newspaper or paper towel to drain oil.Spread 2 tablespoons tartar sauce onto French loaf halves. Layer with lettuce and tomatoslices. Transfer cooked fillets onto French rolls. Repeat with remaining fillets and serve.

CRAPPIE AND MOREL MUSHROOM PO BOY

This is a classic favorite made from awesome mushrooms and fabulous fish.

1. MAKE THE GRAVY2. FRY THE FISH3. FRY THE MUSHROOMS4. PUT IT TOGETHER

Ingredients1/2 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 1 tablespoon emeril's original essence or creole seasoning 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons louisiana hot sauce or other red hot sauce 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless crappie fillets 1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cornmeal 1 tablespoon coarse salt 2/3 cup vegetable oil, for frying emeril's kicked-up tartar sauce, for serving (optional) lemon wedges, for serving

GET YOUR BAGUETTE ROLLS AND SLICE THEM THE LONG WAY. SPREADEACH WITH ROUMELADE SAUCE. ADD LETTUCE LEAVES, TOMATOSLICES, AND SLICES OF AVOCADO. SPREAD WARM GRAVY OVER ALL,SALT AND PEPPER.

LAY THE FISH ON, THEN THE MUSHROOMS. FOLD AND EAT HOT!