Oyster Po'Boys
Originally published on Serious Eats March 2024
Freshly shucked oysters fried until golden-brown and tucked into French bread with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, and pickle chips.
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Blessed with abundant waterways, it’s no wonder that Louisiana cuisine is brimming with seafood. Seafood specialties dominate restaurant menus. Hell, we even smother pork chops with crawfish. It’s not just the abundance of fresh catch that spurs pride in our local bounty. Our seafood also happens to be damned good.
Take our humble oyster: Plump and succulent, our bivalves are known for their briny-sweet flavor, thanks to the particular terroir. Louisiana oysters thrive in brackish waters, that just-right mix of fresh and salt waters where rivers and bayous meet the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps that irresistible Goldilocks combo is what makes the oyster one of the top choices as po’ boy protein. And before you say it: I know. Raw gulf oysters tend to be milder than some of their more dynamic West and East coast cousins. However, it’s just that mild, creamy sweetness that makes it the ideal po’ boy fryer.
You’ll sometimes hear oyster po’ boys referred to as Peacemakers. Legend has it that a husband in the doghouse could bring home an oyster po’ boy and restore his marital peace. Veracity notwithstanding, you’ll find some variety of Peacemaker on menus around New Orleans. Whether they feature a mix of shrimp and oyster (my favorite) or an amped up version of your standard oyster loaf, say with bacon and cheese, the humble oyster is always the star.
Mild, Medium-Sized Oysters—and Keep ‘em Cold
If you can get your hands on some Louisiana oysters for this recipe, you’re in for a treat. If not, no matter: Any mildly flavored, medium-sized oyster should do. Your fishmonger will be able to steer you in the right direction. And while all seafood is prone to spoiling if not properly refrigerated, oysters’ delicate flesh makes them especially so. As such, it’s key to keep your oysters as cold as possible during the cooking process. Use cold eggs to make your wet mixture, and remove the oysters from the fridge just before dredging. Not only will this ensure the freshest flavor, but many Louisiana cooks swear it will also help the batter adhere better and keep the oysters tender and juicy.
(A note about seasonality: Common wisdom advises avoiding oysters in any month that doesn’t have an “r” in it – May through August when the waters are at their warmest. This was traditionally not just for health reasons in the days before widespread refrigeration but also because oysters tend to be thinner and more watery in warmer months. However, strict safety regulations ensure the safety of oyster harvests year round. So long as your oysters are properly stored and cooked, you can enjoy them any time of year.)
A Crispy Corn Flour Batter
Because oysters are small and delicate, you’ll almost always see them battered with a fine dusting of corn flour rather than cornmeal. Corn flour is very finely ground flour milled from whole corn kernels, while cornmeal is coarser-grained. Cornmeal does add a nice toasty texture, but its heftier crumb threatens to overwhelm the oyster—and that’s what we’re here for, after all. Relying on the finer corn flour delivers the toasty, earthy flavor of corn while ensuring that light, even coating you’re going for. Note that we don’t call for any wheat flour here: It doesn’t produce the right flavor and texture if verisimilitude is what you’re after. Save the wheat flour for the fish and chips.
Bread with the Right Crisp-to-Squish Ratio
The traditional—and best—bread for a po’ boy is French bread: look for 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.
Make Sure It’s Dressed
While tradition calls for a po-boy to be “dressed,” the customary toppings are usually pretty simple: a generous smear of mayo, a thin layer of juicy, ripe tomatoes, and a pile of crisp shredded lettuce that will inevitably fall out everywhere. That said, creativity is always welcome. Tangy rémoulade, spicy Creole mustard, and generous dashes of hot sauce are common additions, depending on taste. Happy frying!