Po’boys are the perfect sandwiches for anybody with tastebuds. Crisp French bread filled with cornmeal crusted catfish, some mayo, crisp veggies, some hot sauce. I haven't had a great po' boy in a really long time, and I've been craving one big time. I've never been a big shrimp po' boy person (I think that's probably the most common choice), so I went with catfish. This is so similar to the ones you can get in the MS delta, where my wife is from, and it's super close to the legitimate Louisiana flavor. It looks like it would be a difficult thing to tackle, but really the only cooking involved is frying fish.
Prep Time | Cook Time | Serves |
10 minutes | 15 minutes | 1 |
Ingredients Per Sandwich
1 French roll (Plain Banh Mi is great for this)
2 thin slices of catfish filet
1 egg for eggwash
50g medium grind cornmeal
50g AP flour
Cajun seasoning
Lemon pepper seasoning
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Dill pickle slices
Mayo - Blue Plate, Dukes, or Kewpie are best
Hot Sauce - Crystal or Louisiana
Note About The Bread
Let’s talk bread for a minute because I actually think this may be the most important/ defining feature of a po’boy. In Louisiana, po’boys are made with “French bread” which I think people assume means a baguette, but that isn’t quite the same. Baguettes have a hard crust with a wide crumb structure, think big bubbles, while French bread has a crisp crust, with a finer and softer crumb structure. I’ve had a hard time finding bread like this outside of the south, but there are options. The best is a banh mi, as Vietnamese bakers make a very similar bread to the type used for po’boys. If you can get banh mi, you can probably ask the shop if you can buy some bread. If you can’t get that, some grocery store hoagie rolls are probably your second best option. Heat them in the oven until slightly crisp on the outside to at least add some texture to a usually soft roll.
Step 1: Prep The Fish
People think of catfish as a muddy bottom feeder fish, but I think it’s so underrated. It’s flakey and tender like any good whitefish, but it’s also got a clean flavor as long as you get a high quality product. Defrost it if it’s frozen and then slice it into even, smaller pieces. Usually 2 pieces per sandwich is good, so aim for that size.
Season both sides with salt before breading. In one container, mix together the cornmeal and ap flour. Season the dry breading heavily with a solid cajun seasoning, and a lemon pepper seasoning.
Crack 1 egg into a container, add a splash of water and then whip it with a fork until there are no streaky whites or yolks. Dunk each salted filet in the eggwash until coated. Let the excess drip off and then put them into the dry. Press the breading into the fish to ensure an even coating. Place these on a wire rack while we get our oil ready for frying.
Step 2: Fry The Fish
We’ll bring a pan of peanut oil up to around 375f over medium heat. I like my cast iron for this as it’s easy enough to flip the fish and cook both sides. Don't fill the pan past the halfway point. For the classic frying set-up, wire rack to the left with, pot in the middle and the raw food to the right. Gently lay your pieces into the pan away from you and set a 3:30 minute timer. This will be enough to get a solid set crust on the first side. Give them a flip and go another 3:30 minutes. This is enough time for the fish to flake really beautifully. Hit them with a little more cajun and lemon pepper when they come out of the oil to makes sure they can stand up to all the toppings.
Step 3: Build The Sandwich
While the fish is resting we’ll prep all the toppings. Heat your bread in a 350f oven until the outside has achieved a nice crisp. Finely shredded iceberg lettuce is a requirement. Thinly slice a nice tomato and season it with salt and pepper so you’re not stuck with a boring tomato. Dill pickles are my pickle of choice, but bread and butter works too. They’re too sweet for me, but some people are into that. Cut your bread in half and then hit both sides of the bun with mayo. Place your catfish on the bottom bun and then hit it with some hot sauce. Top the other bun with the lettcuce, tomato and pickles, then you’re ready to close this bad boy up. This is the perfect combination of flavors and textures. The fish is crunchy but delicate. All the veggies add freshness to a pretty savory sandwich, and the bread wraps the whole thing into a crisp blanket. It's a beautiful thing, and it's super easy to scale up to more servings without any real added effort.
Cheers!
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