Louisiana cooking inspired classic favorites: Among them, the "poor boy" or"po'boy". Legend has it that the sandwich was invented by two brothers, Bennie and Clovis Martin, streetcar conductors in New Orleans who later opened up a restaurant. In 1929, when the streetcar motormen and conductors union went on strike in the city, businesses donated goods and services to the union local. The Martin brothers pledged to provide a free meal to anyone in the local union. In order to keep their promise, they created an inexpensive sandwich of gravy and spare bits of roast beef on French bread. Orders rang out to the kitchen with the words, “Here comes another poor boy!" And so this scrappy sandwich got a name and the kindhearted but shrewd Martin Brothers got free advertising. The sandwich morphed over the years to include fried seafood, like oysters or shrimp, instead of the original roast beef.
In this vegan version, we prove again that there is a way to satisfy our cravings with compassion. Plump little button mushrooms move into the starring role in this sandwich. Using a coating made with essentially the same flavors and ingredients as the traditional seafood po'boy–plus the addition of buffalo sauce, this sandwich is a delicious, decadent treat. Cornmeal adds a little extra crunch in the batter but replace it with the same amount of flour if you don't have it. My recipe calls for deep-frying (done at the right temperature, your food will get crisp on the outside and absorb very little oil) to create a crisp exterior to the succulent mushroom. Dressed up with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and tartar sauce, this is a sandwich worth making…and sharing!
Brush any dirt off the mushrooms with a clean dish towel or paper towel. Remove the stems from the mushrooms (reserve for making stock or chop and use in soup or stir-fry).
In a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag or large bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, Old Bay Seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cayenne, and black pepper.
Pour milk into a medium bowl and stir in the buffalo sauce. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl and toss until they're wet. Lift the mushrooms out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the bag with the flour mixture. Gently shake the bag to coat the mushrooms. Set the bag aside and let the coating set while you make the tartar sauce.
To make the tartar sauce, mix all the ingredients together and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
To fry the mushrooms, pour the oil into a dry, deep, pot to the depth of about 3 inches: mushrooms should be able to "bob" in the oil. Heat the oil to 350°F–this will take between 5 and 10 minutes over medium heat, depending on your stove. If you don't have a thermometer these are some other ways to judge whether your oil is hot enough; dip a wooden chopstick into the oil–if bubbles start to form, the oil is hot enough; pinch a small bit of the moistened flour batter and drop it in the oil–if it starts to bubble immediately, the oil should be ready.
Place a thick brown grocery bag on a cutting board or line a plate with paper towels. Working in batches, use a slotted spoon to lower 3 to 4 mushrooms into the oil. Turn mushrooms once or twice while frying. Fry until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the brown bag or lined plate to drain.
To assemble the sandwiches, slather the bread on both sides with tartar sauce. Place a handful of lettuce, some tomato slices, and pickles on the bread then pile on the mushrooms. Serve with fries or chips.
Brush any dirt off the mushrooms with a clean dish towel or paper towel. Remove the stems from the mushrooms (reserve for making stock or chop and use in soup or stir-fry).
In a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag or large bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, Old Bay Seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cayenne, and black pepper.
Pour milk into a medium bowl and stir in the buffalo sauce. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl and toss until they're wet. Lift the mushrooms out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the bag with the flour mixture. Gently shake the bag to coat the mushrooms. Set the bag aside and let the coating set while you make the tartar sauce.
To make the tartar sauce, mix all the ingredients together and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
To fry the mushrooms, pour the oil into a dry, deep, pot to the depth of about 3 inches: mushrooms should be able to "bob" in the oil. Heat the oil to 350°F–this will take between 5 and 10 minutes over medium heat, depending on your stove. If you don't have a thermometer these are some other ways to judge whether your oil is hot enough; dip a wooden chopstick into the oil–if bubbles start to form, the oil is hot enough; pinch a small bit of the moistened flour batter and drop it in the oil–if it starts to bubble immediately, the oil should be ready.
Place a thick brown grocery bag on a cutting board or line a plate with paper towels. Working in batches, use a slotted spoon to lower 3 to 4 mushrooms into the oil. Turn mushrooms once or twice while frying. Fry until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the brown bag or lined plate to drain.
To assemble the sandwiches, slather the bread on both sides with tartar sauce. Place a handful of lettuce, some tomato slices, and pickles on the bread then pile on the mushrooms. Serve with fries or chips.
