Serves 4
The New Orleans specialty Po' Boy is a sandwich of fried oysters (or shrimp or beef) served on French bread with lots of mayonnaise and crunchy salad vegetables. Because oyster mushrooms have broad, thin caps that resemble the mollusks they're named for, they make a fabulous vegetarian replacement for oysters in a Po' Boy sandwich. In the wild, oyster mushrooms grow on trees, but they are commonly cultivated and popular in a variety of cuisines. To prep them for cooking, trim and discard the tip of the stems. Break or slice the clusters into single, oyster-shaped pieces with stems attached. Since the mushrooms contain so much water, begin by roasting them to remove excess liquid. Once they're ready for the frying pan, dredge them in a light cornmeal and flour coating, and fry them in batches. Layer the crispy mushrooms on a soft French baguette with sliced tomatoes, dill pickles, and shredded romaine tossed with vinegar and garlic. And slather the loaf with a tasty mayo-based remoulade. Serve the sandwiches as quickly as possible so the mushrooms stay crisp.
| 1½ | pounds oyster mushrooms, root ends trimmed, mushrooms separated into pieces |
| ½ | cup flour |
| 1 | cup yellow cornmeal |
| 1 | tablespoon paprika |
| 1 | teaspoon garlic powder |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 2 | cups vegetable oil |
| ½ | cup mayonnaise |
| 1 | tablespoon hot sauce |
| 1 | tablespoon whole-grain mustard |
| Dash of dill pickle juice | |
| 1 | tablespoon red wine vinegar |
| 1 | clove garlic, finely chopped |
| 1 | large soft French baguette |
| 2 | tomatoes, thinly sliced |
| 2 | large dill pickles, sliced lengthwise into thin planks |
| 1 | heart Romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced |
1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet. Line a plate with paper towels.
2. Lay the mushrooms on the baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and when the mushrooms are cool enough to handle, lift them from the pan and squeeze them to remove excess moisture.
3. In a bowl large enough to hold the mushrooms, whisk the flour, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.
4. In a large, deep skillet or wide saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Working in batches, dredge the mushrooms lightly in the cornmeal mixture. Fry for 3 minutes on a side, or until crispy. Transfer the fried mushrooms to the paper towels.
5. For the remoulade: In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, hot sauce, mustard, and pickle juice.
6. In another small bowl, whisk the vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper.
7. Slice the baguette lengthwise. With a paring knife or spoon, scoop out and discard some of the soft, doughy interior from the bottom of the baguette.
8. Spread the mayonnaise mixture inside the well you made in the bottom of the loaf and on the soft part of the top. Arrange tomatoes and pickles in an overlapping layer along the bottom length of the loaf. Top with romaine. Drizzle the vinegar mixture over the lettuce. Top with the hot fried mushrooms and close the sandwich with the top. Cut into 4 pieces.
Karoline Boehm Goodnick
Serves 4
The New Orleans specialty Po' Boy is a sandwich of fried oysters (or shrimp or beef) served on French bread with lots of mayonnaise and crunchy salad vegetables. Because oyster mushrooms have broad, thin caps that resemble the mollusks they're named for, they make a fabulous vegetarian replacement for oysters in a Po' Boy sandwich. In the wild, oyster mushrooms grow on trees, but they are commonly cultivated and popular in a variety of cuisines. To prep them for cooking, trim and discard the tip of the stems. Break or slice the clusters into single, oyster-shaped pieces with stems attached. Since the mushrooms contain so much water, begin by roasting them to remove excess liquid. Once they're ready for the frying pan, dredge them in a light cornmeal and flour coating, and fry them in batches. Layer the crispy mushrooms on a soft French baguette with sliced tomatoes, dill pickles, and shredded romaine tossed with vinegar and garlic. And slather the loaf with a tasty mayo-based remoulade. Serve the sandwiches as quickly as possible so the mushrooms stay crisp.
| 1½ | pounds oyster mushrooms, root ends trimmed, mushrooms separated into pieces |
| ½ | cup flour |
| 1 | cup yellow cornmeal |
| 1 | tablespoon paprika |
| 1 | teaspoon garlic powder |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 2 | cups vegetable oil |
| ½ | cup mayonnaise |
| 1 | tablespoon hot sauce |
| 1 | tablespoon whole-grain mustard |
| Dash of dill pickle juice | |
| 1 | tablespoon red wine vinegar |
| 1 | clove garlic, finely chopped |
| 1 | large soft French baguette |
| 2 | tomatoes, thinly sliced |
| 2 | large dill pickles, sliced lengthwise into thin planks |
| 1 | heart Romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced |
1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet. Line a plate with paper towels.
2. Lay the mushrooms on the baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and when the mushrooms are cool enough to handle, lift them from the pan and squeeze them to remove excess moisture.
3. In a bowl large enough to hold the mushrooms, whisk the flour, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.
4. In a large, deep skillet or wide saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Working in batches, dredge the mushrooms lightly in the cornmeal mixture. Fry for 3 minutes on a side, or until crispy. Transfer the fried mushrooms to the paper towels.
5. For the remoulade: In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, hot sauce, mustard, and pickle juice.
6. In another small bowl, whisk the vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper.
7. Slice the baguette lengthwise. With a paring knife or spoon, scoop out and discard some of the soft, doughy interior from the bottom of the baguette.
8. Spread the mayonnaise mixture inside the well you made in the bottom of the loaf and on the soft part of the top. Arrange tomatoes and pickles in an overlapping layer along the bottom length of the loaf. Top with romaine. Drizzle the vinegar mixture over the lettuce. Top with the hot fried mushrooms and close the sandwich with the top. Cut into 4 pieces.