One of my favourite New Orleans classics is one of the most depressingly-named dishes you’ll ever encounter. But the simple, satisfying Po’ Boy is really a crunchy, tasty sandwich with all your fave ingredients – whatever they may be!
While it is often billed as a specialty of the house in fancy New Orleans eateries, it is really a just a pick-up dish from days gone by that’s undergone an image makeover as times and the economy evolved…
‘Here comes another po’ boy!’
The legend of the Po’ Boy holds that the sandwich was invented by a pair of former street car con-ductors, Bennie and Clovis Martin, who ran a popular coffee stand and street eatery in the French Market in the 1920’s. New Orleans streetcar motormen and conductors went on a long and bitter strike in the summer of 1929.
And the Martins – like the majority of the public, sided staunchly with the workers. The two pledged their support to the union in a letter proclaiming, “Our meal is free to any members of Division 194. […] We are with you till h–l freezes, and when it does, we will furnish blankets to keep you warm.”
When a striker was spotted coming their door, one or another of the Martins would call out to his brother, “Here comes another po’ boy!” And another handful of whaterver they had on hand would go into the frying pan.
What makes a Po’ Boy?
The New Orleans Historical Society (NOLA)says a Po’ Boy can feature almost any kind of meat – as long as there is some meat of some kind. The original sandwich is said to have been based on fried oysters – which were plentiful and cheap at the time. The fried oyster Po’ Boy, specifically, is also called the ‘oyster loaf’, a seminal Big Easy delicacy which dates back to the 1859’s, well before the carmen’s strike.
Wikipedia says: “A wide selection of meat [were used], including roast beef, ham, fried shrimp, fried crawfish, fried catfish, Louisiana hot sausage, fried chicken, alligator, duck, boudin, and rabbit listed among possible ingredients.”
The so-called ‘dressed Po’ Boy’, which is popular today. often includes shredded lettuce, sliced to-mato, sliced pickles, and mayonnaise. Any Po’ Boy can be rendered a legit spicy version simply by adding a shake of Louisina Hot Sauce. The flavour may be amped up by the addition of Creole Mustard.
My recomendations…
The Bread
An authentic Po’ Boy must be served on real ‘Po Boy Bread’. This is a distinct, “local style of French bread traditionally made with less flour and more water than a traditional baguette, yielding a wetter dough that produces a lighter and fluffier bread that is less chewy,” Wikipedia explains. NOLA.com offers an official, authentic recipe…
The Mayo
… Can be just regular plain mayonnaise, or a Creole Mayo, which is goosed-up with a blend of Louis-iana spices… Some aficionados insist on a true Creole Remulade.
The Seafood
Seafood intended as filling for a Po’ Boy must be heavily battered and crispy fried to a light golden brown. It definitely must be well-drained, very crunchy, and never soggy!
I also see no problem ‘cutting to the chase’ by using your fave frozen brand of bake-and-eat crispy fried seafood. You could even use Fast Food Chicken Nuggets or tenders. But that’s an expensive way to go. And when you consider the time it takes to run out and get them, you’re no farther ahead with that option…
One Essential Topping
… And that’s the pickles. One school of thought holds that Classic Dill Pickles (not Kosher) are most authentic for a Po’ Boy. Others prescribe Bread and Butter Pickles. I suggest that any kind of cucum-ber pickle that complements the featured meat filling is legit.
My take
As specific as some chefs are about some (or all) of the ingredients, I see the Po’ Boy as one of those ‘pick-up’ dishes that started as a street food. As such, it can legitimately be said to have as many ‘recipes’ as there are folks who make it.
Try a bunch of different fillings. But stick to the classic Po’ Boy style and form. And be sure to use proper Po’ Boy Bread!
~ Maggie J.