Fried Fish Po’Boy Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Po’Boys

A po’boy is an iconic Southern sandwich first made famous in New Orleans, Louisiana. Integral to the po’boy, which comes in many variations and styles, is a crusty, pillowy French bread roll. Crispy fried seafood is one of the most classic po’boy offerings, along with fried soft-shell crab, fried catfish, fried oysters, and fried shrimp, but there are many fillings from which you can choose.

Chicken, tofu, hot sausage, pulled pork, and even alligator may be on the menu depending on the chef's inclinations. A quick tip when ordering a po’boy: Ask for your sandwich “dressed” if you want toppings like shredded iceberg lettuce, cabbage, pickles, or sliced tomatoes in addition to its main ingredient.

Brothers Clovis and Benny Martin, the proprietors of the Martin Brothers Coffee Stand and Restaurant in New Orleans, invented the po’boy sandwich in the 1920s. Legend has it that the brothers conceived of the sandwich as an inexpensive meal either for striking streetcar workers, unemployed locals during the Depression, or other “poor boys” who wanted an affordable sandwich.

There are endless ways to make a po’boy, but here are some classics.

1. 1. Shrimp po’boy: For many, the quintessential po’boy features fried shrimp coated in a batter seasoned with Creole spices, drizzled with both spicy remoulade sauce and tangy pickle relish.
   
2. 2. Crawfish po’boy: While crawfish is perhaps best known for starring in other classic NOLA (New Orleans) dishes like gumbo and étouffée, it’s also a classic po’boy filling paired with pickled peppers and a mayonnaise-mustard dressing.
3. 3. French fry po’boy: One of the very first po’boys contained french fries and gravy, and the combo remains popular today.
4. 4. Peacemaker po’boy: Also known as La Mediatrice, the centerpiece of the Peacemaker po’boy is fried oysters.
5. 5. Roast beef po’boy: Cold cuts are a popular choice of po’boy filling. Some sources note that the roast beef-and-cheese po’boy was the first variation on the form, doused in a rich, hearty gravy known as “debris.”

Here’s what to know about making this beloved NOLA street food at home.

1. 1. Use the right kind of bread. If you’re outside of New Orleans, it may be tricky to track down a po’boy roll, but you can use most soft French rolls as a substitute or pick up a few Vietnamese baguettes, like the kind used for bánh mi.
2. 2. Use different kinds of heat for a spicy, tangy flavor profile. When making po’boys at home, they can be as spicy or funky as you like. Incorporate spices like cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, or Cajun and Creole seasoning into the flour mixture, or throw some hot mustard or freshly grated horseradish into a remoulade-style spread. When in doubt, combine your favorite hot sauce with mayonnaise for a dressing with some kick.
3. 3. For extra texture, use a crunchy cornmeal coating. Many po’boys include fried fillings. Whether you’re frying seafood or vegetarian fillings like mushrooms, a crunchy outer layer adds a crisp contrast to the soft bread and fresh vegetables. To help the cornmeal adhere while frying, chill the dredged ingredients for ten to fifteen minutes before frying.