Smoky Portobello Po' Boys

I work right down the street from a new-ish Southern/Cajun restaurant, The Khyber Pass Pub. Like many others, I mourned the passing of the original joint, which shares the name of the new place but not much else. The old Khyber was dark and dirty, but it was also a great place to get a cheap beer and see a band you couldn't see anywhere else. Sure, the bathroom didn't have a door and hadn't been cleaned since 1995. But the Khyber was punk rock and gritty, a proud middle finger in a neighborhood that had become full of Jersey Shore-wannabe douchebags.

But I can't be mad that it was taken over by Dave Frank and Stephen Simons, of Royal Tavern and Cantina Los Caballitos fame. The food is so good, and although the menu is barbecue heavy, there are a ton of vegetarian and vegan options as well! And best of all, once in a while they do a Vegan Cocktail Night, where they offer specials on vegan beer and cocktails and a special menu of vegan appetizers, entrees and desserts. This past Tuesday, my friend Lauren and I bellied up to the bar and stuffed our faces with delectable food and drink.

(Full disclosure: Dave is a friend of a friend and I know him socially. But I paid for my food this visit, and as always, my opinions are my own)

Although after much deliberation I ordered the Okra & Eggplant Etouffee, (etouffees are so rarely vegetarian that I couldn't resist) my eyes kept wandering back to another special that evening: a Smoked Portobello Po' Boy.

Now I have a confession for you, dear readers. I have a po' boy problem. And the Khyber just so happens to offer a vegan fried "chicken" po' boy on it's regular menu and as I just so happen to work about a block away, I just so happen to order this sandwich at least once a week for lunch.

My name is Sara and I am addicted to po' boys.

Whew. Feels good to get that off my chest. Anyway, I don't know what it is about these sandwiches... scratch that, I know just what it is. The perfectly crusty bread, the creamy/spicy remoulade, the tangy pickles... it's all of these things combined with some sort of breaded & fried protein that make the perfect sandwich. And the Khyber's version is really damn tasty, thanks in large part to the fact that they ship their rolls in from the famous Leidenheimer Baking Company of New Orleans.

So although I didn't order the po' boy that evening, the idea for a smoky-mushroomy po' boy has been stuck in my craw ever since. I just had to give them a whirl at home.
These sandwiches come together in a snap and are supremely filling. The meaty portobellos get their smoky flavor from their cornmeal crust, and the creamy remoulade is cut nicely by the snappy pickles. Traditionally po' boys are garnished with shredded iceberg lettuce, but I virtuously used lettuce from our CSA. Less virtuously I sprung for very out-of-season supermarket tomatoes, but I simply couldn't imagine a po-boy without them.

I adapted my remoulade from this recipe by Hank Shaw. The pickles are up to you-- I used pickled green tomatoes I got at the food swap, but bread and butter or dills would work nicely, according to your preference. If you're not lucky enough to live in New Orleans, I suggest you buy a French-style (whole wheat, if possible) baguette from the finest bakery in your town. The bread does, after all, really make the sandwich.
If you are lucky enough to live in Philadelphia, please do yourself a favor and check out the eatin' and drinkin' at the Khyber Pass Pub.

Bon Appetite!

PREP TIME: about 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: about 15 minutes

MAKES: 2 large po' boys

INGREDIENTS:

for the remoulade:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (make your own with this recipe!)
• 2 tablespoons Creole mustard (substitute stone-ground mustard if you can't find it)
• 1/2 teaspoon pickle juice
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used good ol' Tabasco)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I used Dinosaur Barbecue's Cajun Foreplay, but feel free to use your favorite or make your own)

for the smoky portobellos:

• 2 portobello mushroom caps, brushed clean, stems removed
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• coconut or peanut oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

to put it all together:

• 2 whole wheat baguettes, split lengthwise
• a handful finely chopped lettuce
• 2 plum tomatoes, sliced thickly
• sliced pickles

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put together the remoulade: in a medium bowl, stir mayo, mustard, pickle juice, hot sauce, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning until well incorporated. Set aside. (Extra remoulade can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 month)
2. Cut portobello caps into long slices, about 1/2" thick. In a shallow bowl, beat together egg and buttermilk. In another shallow bowl, combine cornmeal, whole wheat flour, smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon sea salt.
3. In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan with steep sides, heat up enough oil to come about 1/4" from the bottom of the pan. Heat oil until a small amount of flour sizzles right away when dropped into pan, taking care not to let oil smoke.
4. Dredge the portobello mushrooms: first dunk slices in egg mixture and then in cornmeal mixture, taking care to coat all sides of mushroom with cornmeal mix. Shake off excess and fry a few at a time, flipping slices over so they are evenly golden brown on both sides.
5. Place fried mushroom slices on a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with more salt.
6. When all mushroom slices have been fried, assemble sandwiches: spread remoulade thickly over both sides of cut bread. Lay down a bed of lettuce, top with tomatoes, fried mushrooms and pickles. Place sandwich halves together and press down lightly to compact ingredients.
7. Serve with cold Cajun beer, potato chips and lots of napkins-- this is a messy, delicious po'boy!