This Oyster Po’Boy is super good and fun!! These delicious fried oysters are served on a buttered and toasted hoagie bun, slathered with homemade Remoulade! I love fried oysters!
Here’s a little history of the po’boy from this link: https://www.whereyat.com/the-history-of-the-po-boy
“No one is going to argue about how important food is to the very identity of New Orleans. The city has graced the culinary world with all kinds of savory (gumbo, crawfish etouffée, red beans and rice) and sweet (beignets, Bananas Foster, sno-balls) creations. One New Orleans food dish, however, is almost deceptive in its simplicity, and that is the humble po-boy.
For the uninitiated, a poor boy (aka po-boy, po’ boy, or po boy) is a sandwich that uses a six-inch or foot-long baguette-style bread that is more commonly known as French bread. Traditionally, po-boys are filled with either roast beef or fried seafood (oysters, shrimp, crab, what have you) and topped with pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise. Nowadays, however, you can fill a po-boy with basically anything you want (burger patties, hot sausage, french fries, alligator meat, caprese salad, etc.). But for a sandwich with such a modest look, it has a pretty unique history behind it.
The sandwich itself has been present in New Orleans since around the late 1800s, when it was then called an oyster loaf (literally, fried oysters on French loaves). The origins of when it started being called a “po-boy” are actually not too certain, because a lot of different legends have attached themselves to the sandwich over the years. The most common consensus to explain the “po-boy” term, at least locally, comes from the story of the Martin brothers.
In the mid-1910s, Bennie and Clovis Martin moved to New Orleans from their home in Raceland, Louisiana, to work as streetcar conductors. In 1922, the brothers then decided to open up their own restaurant, Martin Brothers’ Coffee Stand and Restaurant, specializing in French loaf sandwiches with anything you wanted on them. These sandwiches wouldn’t be called po-boys until 1929, when members of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America, Division No. 194, went on a four-month- long strike, thereby leaving over a thousand union streetcar workers without a source of income.
The Martin brothers, to show their support for the workers affected by this strike, wrote a letter to one of the local newspapers, stating that they would give a free meal to any members of Division 194. Legend has it that when the brothers saw one of the union workers walk into their restaurant, one of them would yell, “Here comes another poor boy!” Since the free meal given to these workers often included the customary sandwich, the name “poor boy” gradually became associated with the sandwich itself.” Click on the link to read further.
Fun! Super Good Oyster Po’Boy
The oysters are very simple. I’ve seen a lot of recipes use cornmeal, some of the recipes use cornmeal and flour, some of the recipes use lots of spices, but I have found the best breading is a simple all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Want another po’boy or sub type sandwich? Check out this recipe on the blog: https://the2spoons.com/perfect-roast-beef-and-provolone-sandwich/.
Here’s the simple recipe for this delicious oyster po’boy. You can substitute the oysters for shrimp if you don’t like oysters. Enjoy!
Fun! Super Good Oyster Po’Boy
Ingredients
For the RÉMOULADE
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup Creole mustard (like Zatarains)
- 2 Tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 1 Tsp Finely chopped garlic
- 1/8 Tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1/2 Tsp file powder
- 1/4 Cup Minced green onions
For the Oysters
- 2 Pints Oysters
- 2 1/2 All purpose flour
- 1/2 Tsp Each Salt and pepper
To build the po’boy
- rémoulade
- Shredded lettuce
- Sliced tomatoes
- 2-4 Hoagie Buns
- Butter for roasting the buns
Instructions
For the RÉMOULADE
- Place ingredients in mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Transfer to storage container, cover, and refrigerate for up to one week.
For the Oysters
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with salt and pepper .
- Remove oysters from liquor, draining excess so oysters are still wet but not dripping.
- One at a time, toss the oysters to coat all sides in the breading (gently press the breading onto the oyster to help it adhere). Transfer to waxed-paper-lined plate or cookie sheet until oysters are all breaded.
- In a heavy stockpot with high sides fitted with a deep-frying (or candy) thermometer, bring at least two inches of peanut oil to 375ºF.
- Keeping the heat at a steady 375ºF and working in batches of six, fry the oysters until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 90 seconds. (The oysters will curl slightly when they are done.) Using a slotted spoon, remove oysters and drain on brown-paper-bag-lined plate.
to build the po’boy
- Heat a large skillet or griddle. Slit the hoagie buns and butter the insides. Place on a griddle and toast until golden and browning on the side. Flip and cook just a few seconds just to warm.
- Slather both sides with the rémoulade.
- Pile some shredded lettuce on the bottom bun, then pile with the fried oysters. Top with the sliced tomatoes that have been lightly salt and peppered. Slice in half and enjoy!
