LEVEL 5 — THE BIG TIME

PO’BOY

A southern staple, the po’ boy comes to us from deep in the heart of Louisiana — New Orleans, to be specific. A traditional po’ boy is made with fried seafood — shrimp, oysters, crab, and crawfish are all possibilities — and can be served hot or cold. A po’ boy can also be made with roast beef. But no matter the filling, a po’ boy is always served on a French baguette, crispy on the outside and soft in the center.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The name po’ boy is a shortened version of “poor boy” and refers to the fact that the sandwich was originally a very inexpensive way to get a solid, filling meal. So who coined the term, and why? That would be Benny and Clovis Martin, brothers, restaurant owners, and former streetcar conductors in New Orleans. In 1929, approximately 1,800 transit workers went on strike for four months against the streetcar company. The Martin brothers served their former colleagues, who were protesting in the streets, sandwiches free of charge. Restaurant workers jokingly referred to the striking workers as “poor boys” and soon the name was stuck to the sandwiches as well.

SANDWICH FACTS

• The po’ boy was created in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1929.
• In New Orleans, “Vietnamese po’ boy” is another name for a banh mi sandwich.
• A “dressed” po’boy has romaine lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo on it.
• The trademark of a po’ boy is fresh, delicious French bread.
• Oyster loaves is the name for fried oyster sandwiches on French bread, similar to po’ boys, served in the late 1800s in New Orleans and San Francisco.

BETWEEN THE BREAD

ADD-ON RECIPE

Rémoulade Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 Tbs. horseradish
• 1 tsp. pickle relish
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• Pepper

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Drizzle over your sandwich and refrigerate the rest.