Poor Boy Fillets Recipes

POOR BOY SANDWICH

Steps:

• Cut a thin slice off top of roll; set aside. Hollow out center, reserving 1/2 cup of bread and leaving a 1/4-in. shell. Combine butter and celery seed; spread over inside of roll and on cut surface of top. Combine remaining ingredients and reserved bread; spoon into roll. Replace top.

POOR BOY SPREAD

Steps:

• Stir Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, 30 minutes to a full day.

FISH PO' BOYS

Steps:

• Cut flounder fillets into 1 1/2-inch strips; pat dry. Place in a medium bowl. Add cornmeal; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Brown fish (work in batches if needed) on both sides, 7 to 10 minutes (turn fish carefully). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; season with more salt, as desired.
• Split baguette; hollow out slightly. Spread both halves with tartar sauce, and layer with lettuce, sliced tomato, and fish. Cut into 4 pieces.

CATFISH PO BOY

Steps:

• Combine coleslaw mix, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion, and lemon pepper in a large bowl. Toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Place catfish fillets in a large shallow baking dish. Sprinkle hot sauce over the top and turn the fillets to coat.
• Combine Cajun seasoning, flour, cornmeal, bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, 1 tablespoon granulated onion, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large brown paper bag. Add catfish fillets and shake gently to coat fillets thoroughly.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry breaded catfish fillets until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Place on paper towel-lined paper plates to drain.
• Spread each hoagie bun with 1/4 cup remoulade-style spread. Place 2 catfish fillets on top and top with 1 to 2 cups coleslaw. Garnish with lemon wedge, cherry tomato halves, and banana pepper rings.

FRIED HADDOCK PO' BOY

Steps:

• Put the flour, salt and cayenne in a bowl, and mix well. Add the beer and stir until just incorporated. Mix no more than is necessary to prevent dissipation of the bubbles. Put at least 3 inches of canola oil in a deep fryer, and bring to 375 degrees F (or in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F.) Cut the haddock fillets into 3-inch pieces. Season the fish with sea salt and black pepper. When the oil is at temperature, (if you don't have a thermometer you can test it by dropping a bread crouton in. If it sizzles on hitting the oil, it's ready), dip the haddock pieces in the batter, and let the excess drain by holding it up briefly above the bowl before placing into the pan. Lay the fish into the hot oil slowly to make sure the oil hits all the surface area. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes on one side and flip over for another 2 minutes. You are looking for a golden brown color and crisp exterior. When ready, lift the fillets out with tongs and lay on paper towels, to absorb the excess surface oil. Open out the split baguette and place inside down in a large pan coated with a nub of butter, melted, on medium heat, for about a minute. This will pan grill the inside of the bread making it buttery and toasty. To assemble: Spread Tartar sauce on both sides of the bread, lay on two pieces of fish and add a final little crunch of some finely sliced iceberg lettuce.
• Place 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise in a bowl and add all the ingredients. Mix together. Mixture should be green, chunky and not too runny.
• Put the eggs and mustard in a food processor. While running the machine, slowly drizzle in the oil until it gets very thick. Add some water, and then continue with the oil. Shift back and forth between the oil and water. When all is added, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

FRIED TILAPIA PO' BOY

Steps:

• For the aioli: Preheat a pizza oven or regular oven to 450 degrees F.
• Coat the peppers with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl, then place on a sheet tray. Roast until the pepper skin burns and blisters on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place the peppers in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap to let steam for 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bowl and carefully remove the charred skins, seeds and stems. Finely chop and set aside.
• Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic, mayonnaise and mustard to a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and whisk until emulsified. Add the basil and peppers and fold together until combined. Season with salt and set aside.
• For the onions and tilapia: Very carefully slice the onions into paper-thin rings on a mandoline and place in a large bowl. Cover the onions with the milk and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Preheat a fryer or fill a large Dutch oven with 3 inches canola oil and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a tray with a wire rack.
• Slice each piece of fish down the middle, then slice on the bias into 2/3-inch pieces. Place the fish in a shallow dish and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add the flour to another shallow dish.
• Dredge the fish in the flour, then shake off the excess and carefully place in the oil. Cook until golden brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to the wire rack.
• Fully drain the onions, then carefully place them in the oil. Cook, moving the onions around, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes (be sure to watch, as they cook fast). Remove and season with salt.
• Slice the baguette pieces through the middle horizontally without cutting through. Add the aioli to both cut sides of the bread. Lay 3 to 4 pieces of fish in each, then top with the crispy onions and the arugula and serve.

POOR MAN'S FILET MIGNON

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients and 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Form into 12 patties. Wrap a bacon slice around the sides of each patty and secure with a toothpick. , Place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, basting frequently with remaining barbecue sauce the last 30 minutes.

BLACKENED SALMON POOR BOY SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Heat a heavy skillet over high heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Mix mayonnaise with 1-2 teaspoons of Cajun spice.
• Taste, add salt, pepper or more Cajun spice as necessary (depending on your preference); put aside till later.
• Lightly oil both sides of the salmon and sprinkle with the remaining Cajun spice (the more you add, the hotter it becomes, so heads up).
• Place salmon in the hot skillet to blacken; cook 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, turn and finish cooking. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of fish and the heat of pan.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture onto each French roll.
• Top each with a blackened salmon fillet, 2 slices of tomato and 1/4 cup of the shredded cabbage and serve.
• ***CAJUN SPICE MIX***.
• Mix all spice mix ingredients together. Store in a sealed ziploc bag.
• Makes about 2/3 cup spice mix.

CATFISH POORBOY

Steps:

• Cut rolls 2/3 through, leaving a "hinge.".
• Dig out bread from the crust, leaving 1/2 inch or so shell.
• In large skillet in 1 tablespoon oil, sauté garlic, jalapeño, red bell pepper strips, onion, tomato paste, crushed red pepper flakes and lime juice.
• Sauté for 3 minutes, then add 1 cup water and basil.
• Gently add room temperature fillets to the pan, pushing aside veggies. With pastry brush, brush liquid over fillets.
• Remove pan from stove top and place in oven under broiler and broil 8 minutes.
• Spoon some veggie mixture into bread shell, place fish fillet over, add more veggies, close and serve.