The Southern Po' Boy Cookbook (11 page)

THE BUFFALEAUX

Buffalo Wing with Blue Cheese Po’ Boy

Shuffle off to New Orleans with this delicious offering. Even if you can’t always be there in real life, you can enjoy the flavor of this incredible city at home. (Oh, and go right on ahead and feel free to cook and/or dine in the buff. No one has to know!)

Serves 4 to 6

Hot Chicken Strips

8 (3-ounce) frozen, breaded chicken strips

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

1/2 cup Crystal Hot Sauce

Dressing

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

6 tablespoons milk

Assembly

2 (12-inch) loaves French bread, split nearly apart

12 slices Creole or beefsteak tomato

4 (12-inch) stalks of celery, sliced into thin sticks

1}
  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2}
  Place the frozen chicken fingers on a baking pan, and bake according to package directions. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a medium bowl.

3}
  In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the hot sauce. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Pour the butter and hot sauce mixture over the chicken, and toss to coat.

4}
  In a small bowl, combine the blue cheese, mayonnaise, and milk. Whisk until smooth.

5}
  Place slices of tomato and the celery sticks on the bottom half of each loaf. Next, place the chicken fingers over the tomato and celery, and top with a generous drizzle of the blue cheese dressing. Close the sandwiches, cut each loaf into 2 to 3 sections, and serve.

THE SLIDELL

Ultimate BLT Po’ Boy

This takes your standard BLT and infuses it with gourmet flavor for a tenacious twist. But no one will have to twist your arm to eat it; I will promise you that! Slidell is a city in the greater New Orleans metropolitan area that is often considered a suburb. It is located on the northeast side of Lake Pontchartrain close to the Mississippi border.

Serves 2

1 medium tomato, sliced

1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 slices thick-cut smoked applewood bacon

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh basil

1 (12-inch) loaf French Bread, split and toasted

1 cup arugula

4 (1-ounce) slices mozzarella cheese (optional)

1}
  Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a 9 × 13-inch baking or roasting pan with aluminum foil. Spread the tomato slices across the foil. Whisk together the oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and black pepper, and pour over the tomatoes. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges of the tomatoes start to caramelize.

2}
  Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning frequently, until crisp and brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

3}
  Combine the mayonnaise and basil in a small bowl, mixing well. Spread the mixture on both halves of the bread, then layer with the arugula, caramelized tomato slices, and bacon. Top with mozzarella cheese, if desired. Close the sandwich, and cut into 2 sections to serve.

THE SNUG HARBOR

Fried Green Tomato and Shrimp Rémoulade Po’ Boy

The po’ boy to me is “bayou blissfulness,” and trust me, it would be completely unacceptable to describe NOLA’s famous and fabulous food with any other phrase. If you’re the adventurous type, why not ask a local what po’ boy they would suggest and then visit a hole in the wall, small neighborhood, or corner bar. That way you’ll get to experience some true and traditional po’ boy culture, plus you’re bound to also be converted into a devout and fervent follower of that establishment. No time for neighborhood haunts? Most restaurants in NOLA also serve up a mean po’ boy (actually it’s hard to find a bad one in the city), and you’ll have this book to guide you in further exploration when you get back home.

Serves 2

Rémoulade Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons dill relish

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives

2 tablespoons chopped capers

2 teaspoons Creole mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped shallot

1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce

Tomatoes

peanut oil, for frying

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1-1/2 cups cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 medium green tomatoes sliced about 1/3 inch thick

Shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning

1 pound jumbo (16-20 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

Assembly

1 (12-inch) baguette, split

1 cup shredded lettuce

1}
  To make the rémoulade sauce, combine the mayonnaise, relish, parsley, chives, capers, mustard, shallot, and hot sauce in a small bowl, mixing well. Cover and chill. For best results, prepare the night before.

2}
  Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a 6 to 8-quart cast-iron Dutch oven, and add enough oil to measure 2 inches deep. Over medium heat, heat the oil to 350°F.

3}
  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make an egg wash. Place the flour in another small bowl. Combine the cornmeal, salt, and black pepper in a third small bowl. Dredge the tomato slices in the flour, dip in the egg wash, and coat in the cornmeal mixture, tapping off the excess. Drop the battered tomato slices in the hot oil, and fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

4}
  In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil and Cajun or Creole seasoning. Coat the shrimp in the mixture. In a large nonstick frying pan over high heat, sauté until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Shrimp will turn pink and be firm to the touch when done.

5}
  Place the cooked fried green tomato slices on the bottom half of the baguette, and layer the shrimp over the tomato, covering the entire half. Top with lettuce and then drizzle the rémoulade sauce over the lettuce. Cut into 2 sections, and serve immediately.

THE MAMA’S BOY

Glazed Ham with Macaroni and Cheese

As a proud mama’s boy, I speak from experience when I tell you this is one hell of a sensational Sunday supper. Thanks, Mama!

Serves 8 to 12

Glazed Ham

1 (8-pound) ready-to-eat smoked ham

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

4-1/2 tablespoons flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons Creole mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons pineapple juice

Mac ’n’ Cheese

2 (7-1/4-ounce) boxes macaroni & cheese dinner

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into small cubes

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

Assembly

4 (12-inch) loaves French bread, split

2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 cups shredded lettuce

4 medium tomatoes, sliced

2 tablespoons Creole mustard

1}
  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2}
  Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Wrap the ham in foil, and place in the pan. Reheat until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham registers 145°F, about 20 minutes per pound. Remove the ham from the foil, trim off any excess fat, and score a diamond pattern over the surface.

3}
  Meanwhile, make a glaze by combining the brown sugar, syrup, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, mustard, and vinegar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth, about 8 minutes. Then add the pineapple juice. When the mixture begins to lightly boil, reduce the heat to simmer, and continue stirring for another minute.

4}
  Baste the scored ham with the glaze mixture, and return it to the oven. Periodically baste the ham with more glaze until the ham reaches an internal temp of 160°F. Remove from the oven, let stand for 20 minutes, and carve slices for the sandwiches.

5}
  Cook the mac ’n’ cheese according to package directions.

6}
  In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2-1/2 tablespoons flour with the salt, pepper, and Cajun or Creole seasoning. Grease a 4-quart baking dish, and pour half of the cooked mac ’n’ cheese in. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the mac ’n’ cheese, and top with half of the butter and half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining mac ’n’ cheese, flour mixture, butter, and cheese. Pour the milk over the top. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.

7}
  Spread the mayonnaise across the bottom half of the bread. Layer with slices of glazed ham followed by a layer of baked mac ’n’ cheese. Dress with lettuce, tomato, and Creole mustard, smash down slightly, and slice into 2 to 3 sections to serve.

THE BAYOU ST. JOHN

Charbroiled Oyster Po’ Boy

“I’ve been all over the world. I love New York, I love Paris, San Francisco, so many places. But there’s no place like New Orleans. It’s got the best food. It’s got the best music. It’s got the best people. It’s got the most fun stuff to do.” — Harry Connick, Jr.

Serves 2 to 6