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Fried Oyster Po'Boys

Source of Recipe

From "The New Orleans Kitchen" by Justin Devillier


Recipe Introduction

"There is perhaps no food more quintessentially New Orleans than a po'boy, which can be stuffed with anything from roast beef to fried shellfish to chicken and more. The origin of the sandwich is endlessly debated, but legend has it that striking street-car workers in the 1920s were given sandwiches named for their recipients' circumstances—hence, 'poor boys.' What's not up for debate is that po'boys play a significant role in the fabric of New Orleans food and are available everywhere from corner stores to some of the finest restaurants in town. Whether you're in a meat or a seafood kind of mood, your bread choice is important. In New Orleans, we make po'boys on a particular type of French bread that has a cottony interior and a thin, crispy cracker-like crust. If you don't have access to New Orleans-style French loaves, I recommend using a loaf of Texas toast or white bread cut lengthwise, as opposed to a baguette or anything fancy. This is a blue-collar sandwich, after all."

List of Ingredients

Garlic Butter:
â—¦  3 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦  2 cloves garlic, smashed

Fried Oysters:
â—¦  2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦  2 cups cornmeal
â—¦  ¼ cup cornstarch
â—¦  1 tablespoon kosher salt
â—¦  1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
â—¦  48 oysters, shucked from their shells and reserved with juices
â—¦  Peanut oil for frying (about 1 quart)
â—¦  2 large loaves po'boy bread or French bread
â—¦  1 cup Rémoulade (recipe follows)
â—¦  ½ large head iceberg lettuce, shredded
â—¦  1 cup pickles
â—¦  2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Crystal), plus more for serving


Recipe

To make the garlic butter:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and decrease the heat to low. Simmer for about 45 minutes, until the garlic is translucent but not brown and the butter has taken on the garlic flavor. Strain the butter and set aside, discarding the garlic. The garlic butter can be made up to one day in advance.

To fry the oysters:
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, salt, and pepper to combine. One by one, transfer the oysters into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Gently toss with your fingers to evenly coat the oysters with the dredge.

Line a plate with paper towels. Pour the oil to a depth of at least 2 inches into a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. The peanut oil is ready when it shimmers and sizzles when you add a pinch of cornmeal. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, gently place the oysters in the pan about 1 inch apart to ensure even crispiness.

Fry the oysters on each side until crispy and golden brown, about 1 ½ minutes per side, then transfer to the paper towels to drain.

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut the bread into 8-inch portions (or desired length) and slice horizontally lengthwise. Brush the inside of the bread with the garlic butter and toast in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, until crispy and just slightly brown. Brush each side with 2 tablespoons of the rémoulade. Top with the fried oysters, the lettuce, and pickles, then place top half of bread on top. Serve with hot sauce and extra napkins.

Makes 8 to 10 servings



Rémoulade:

Rémoulade is traditional in old-school restaurants in New Orleans, and every place with history here has a version of shrimp rémoulade or boiled beef with rémoulade. It's essentially a very classic cold egg yolk emulsion, similar to mayo. Often the traditional New Orleans ones have ketchup in them and a pronounced flavor of celery seed and celery.

I like to skip the ketchup and use celery root, which is drier than celery stalks and doesn't water down the sauce. I came up with this recipe one summer while serving shrimp rémoulade. It's very creamy, very acidic, and complements any fish or shellfish (especially if they're chilled), as well as roast beef and turkey pastrami.

â—¦  1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
â—¦  ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
â—¦  1 teaspoon sweet paprika
â—¦  1 teaspoon celery seeds
â—¦  2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
â—¦  ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
â—¦  ½ cup finely grated celery root
â—¦  2 cloves garlic
â—¦  1 cup coarsely chopped green onions, white parts only
â—¦  1 ½ teaspoons Tabasco sauce
â—¦  2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
â—¦  1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
â—¦  ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
â—¦  4 egg yolks
â—¦  3 ¼ cups vegetable oil
â—¦  Kosher salt

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the Worcestershire, cayenne, paprika, celery seeds, vinegar, lemon juice, celery root, garlic, green onions, Tabasco, mustard, horseradish, parsley, and egg yolks.

Process on high speed until all the ingredients are chunky, like salsa. With the machine running on medium speed, slowly stream in all of the oil. The sauce should look creamy, but still noticeably chunky—like a creamy relish. Season with salt and additional lemon juice. Transfer the rémoulade to a container with a tight-fitting lid.

Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes about 1 quart