Catfish Po' Boys

Think of po’ boys as crayons. Like carnation pink, you’ve got your variations on the classics: buttery “BBQ" shrimp instead of fried shrimp or, one of my Jazz Fest favorites, the crab meat po’ boy, stuffed with a rich mixture that’s somewhere between stuffed crab filling and a crabcake. Then you have your less common hues, like your burnt umbers and raw siennas that you’ll only find in the jumbo pack. These are the cheffy takes, such as fried cauliflower or báhn mì–po’ boy mashups. But right up front in the standard pack are hot sausage, roast beef, shrimp, oyster, soft shell crab (when in season), and catfish po’ boys.

It’s no mistake that seafood makes up the majority of this list, given Louisiana’s plentiful bayous, swamps, lakes, rivers, and channels, plus the Gulf of Mexico abutting its entire southern border. And while that means we have an abundant variety of fish—redfish, black drum, flounder, and wahoo, to name a few—catfish is almost always the choice of fish for battering and frying, whether it’s going to be served up on its own or stuffed into a po’ boy. Sure, you will see the occasional fried trout po’ boy, but go to any Friday Lenten fish fry or sandwich shop anywhere in South Louisiana, and a golden-crisp fillet of catfish is what you’re going to find between two halves of French bread. 

Choosing the Catfish (or Other Fish) for Your Po’ Boy 

Catfish’s firm but succulent flesh and its rich and delicately saline flavor make it an ideal fry-up. Because it is a bottom feeder, it does tend to take on the flavor of its diet, which means some folks can find it muddy-tasting. This is more true for wild-caught catfish. Because their diet can be more closely controlled, farm-raised catfish tend to be much milder. (The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch lists several sources of catfish farmed in the United States as Certified and Best Choices, the organization’s top two ratings.)

If you want another option, try a mild, firm fish, such as tilapia, flounder, petrale sole, hake, or cod. The coating of seasoned corn flour and the delivery vehicle of chewy-crisp French bread will keep your catfish substitute from smacking of fish and chips—not that there’s anything wrong with fish and chips, but we’re making po’ boys here, y’all. Or, several shops around New Orleans serve fried trout po’ boys, making it a good alternative.

Nail the Dredging Mixture for Your Fried Fish

Though it’s most common to rely on corn flour for dredging seafood in South Louisiana–its fine texture keeps it from overwhelming smaller shellfish—more substantial fish fillets can hold up to the addition of a bit of coarser cornmeal in the mix. (I personally like a little cornmeal crunch on my catfish, and I found it in about half of the recipes I surveyed while developing this recipe.) And, of course, the dredge must be seasoned. We Louisianians like our food spicy, as in, with plentiful spice—they don’t have to be fiery, but they have to be there. (And no, just salt and pepper does not count.) I recommend stirring at least a tablespoon of Creole seasoning into the corn flour, but let your taste buds guide you and be aware that salt and heat levels vary from brand to brand.

Get Some Squishy French Bread for Your Po’ Boys

This recipe calls for French bread, which is the traditional po’ boy bread in New Orleans and elsewhere in Louisiana. Of course, there are many types of bread that the French customarily bake, but we’re talking about the 10- or 20-inch loaves with a light but crisp crust and an airy crumb. Usually they’re slightly wider than a French baguette and more “squishable,” to use a technical term. Vietnamese baguettes used for bánh mì are a great alternative. Otherwise, use regular sub or hoagie rolls. If the interior of the bread is very dense, scoop most of it out and discard it before building your po' boys.

Dress That Po’ Boy

Then round out tradition by serving your po’ boy "dressed" with a generous smear of mayo, a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes, and a helping of shredded lettuce. I always find that a squeeze of fresh lemon juice enhances the flavor of fried catfish just so, as does the addition of Creole mustard, tartar sauce, or rémoulade, depending on your preference.  And with the exception of a hot sausage po'boy, I can't think of one that isn't made better by a couple dashes of hot sauce.