Most seafood po'boys are loaded with fried seafood and fatty tartar sauce.
Mmmm...fatty tartar sauce.
And if I want to keep you thinkin that I'm some hot little number (ha! sucker!) I need to lay off all that and eat like a grown up.
So I decided to be sensible and lighten them up. I did this some time ago, but other more seasonal things kept cutting in line. That gave me time to think about what I've done.
And learn my lesson
...which is not to mess with a good thing.
Is it wrong to want a po'boy just for the tartar sauce?
Guilt made find an alternative. That Guilt is a know-it-all little %@! of a busybody, let me tell ya. I found a recipe for Lemon-Caper Yogurt Sauce from Giada...she serves it with salmon cakes. I know, I know. More Giada. I'm really not obsessed with her. It's simply coincidence. I thought the cool creamy yogurt would be a good, healthy sub for mayo. And the lemon and capers would be a fine replacement for tartar sauce too.
I'm a po'boy bread snob and believe that the type of bread used makes or breaks a po'boy. But I stuck to the mission and used some kind of wheat whole grain type of something. (Yeah, I was super excited about that.)
Been a good girl so far. I had every intention of baking seasoned fish for these po'boys. Really I did. But that little red guy on my shoulder brought up a good point:
Texture is important in a fish po'boy. Soft, fluffy fish + soft fluffy bread = mouth full of mush.
My choice was not the healthiest (in your face, Guilt!), but I didn't deep fry. Pan fried instead in a mix of butter and olive oil.
This concoction wasn't bad. I've had worse for sure. It just wasn't what I know and love. High expectations can ruin the hell out of things.
When I think of eating a fish po'boy, I picture myself in a fairy princess dress, twirling around candy land surrounded by unicorns and rainbows. Well, um, maybe not exactly what I picture. But it is a fantasy dream-like thing. This healthier version was more like me dressed in a business suit, sitting in a cubicle surrounded by fax machines and files.
I'd rather not grow up, thanks.
*~*~* Take a look at this recent Bill Geist/CBS piece on Po'boys, including a great visual of true New Orleans Po'boy bread. *~*~*
Mise en place for a healthier fish po'boy:
fish, seasoned flour, olive oil, butter
whole grain rolls, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato
Greek yogurt, capers, lemon
The sauce is super easy.
Being a Giada recipe, you must zest lemon.
But that's about as hard as it gets.
Personally, this recipe had too much lemon for me.
And I like lemon.
Being a Giada recipe, you must zest lemon.
But that's about as hard as it gets.
Personally, this recipe had too much lemon for me.
And I like lemon.
Everything's ready to go.
Toasted bread
Lemon caper yogurt sauce instead of tartar sauce
Lettuce & tomato
And catfish nuggets that I dredged in seasoned flour and pan fried
(you've seen me do that a million times)
 |
| In case you're wondering... The half is for The Boy |
And sensibly served with parslied potatoes instead of fries.
Linked to:
Tip Day Thursday Carnival @ Around My Family Table
Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays @ Kahakai Kitchen
Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays @ Kahakai Kitchen
More Po'boys:
Shrimp Po'boys w/ Remoulade Sauce
Fish Po'boys w/ Homemade Tartar Sauce
Creole "sauced" Sausage Po'boys
Shrimp Po'boys w/ Remoulade Sauce
Fish Po'boys w/ Homemade Tartar Sauce
Creole "sauced" Sausage Po'boys
from Giada De Laurentiis
1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest (too much!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest (too much!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
from Ms. enPlace
Lemon Caper Yogurt Sauce (above), made ahead if possible
1 large or 2 small fish fillets per person or a handful of catfish nuggets
flour seasoned with salt, pepper, Tony's
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp butter
whole grain rolls, toasted
shredded lettuce
sliced tomato
Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet. While they heat, lightly dredge the fish in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Place fish in the skillet and cook until golden and cooked through. Turn half way through cooking.
While the fish cooks, toast the bread (if desired), shred the lettuce and slice the tomato.
Generously spread the Lemon caper sauce on each po'boy. Add lettuce, tomato, and fish. Serve right away.
While the fish cooks, toast the bread (if desired), shred the lettuce and slice the tomato.
Generously spread the Lemon caper sauce on each po'boy. Add lettuce, tomato, and fish. Serve right away.
Posts
Yumm!
ReplyDeleteMy husband just made us sausage and pepper Po Boys last night. Like you, I just love them - but my recipe could certainly use some lightening up :-)
And could somebody please tell me how Giada stays so thin?
That does look tasty! Kudos to you for eating like a grown-up. I have yet to learn that.. in my advancing years... ☺
ReplyDeleteI'm not such a big fan of the fish part, I'll admit, but that sauce looks very tempting! And you know, come to think of it, Giada does seem to have a strong fascination with lemon. Many of her recipes that call for it seem to use an awful lot. And I like lemon, too, so that's saying something!
ReplyDeleteLovely dish, i really like the creamy texture of greek yoghurt. Wishing you a happy holiday.
ReplyDeleteI feel a little like that little devil sitting on your shoulder...tarter sauce..go for it! As much as you want...why not? And deep fried fish..sure, it's what makes the "Po Boy" so rich...and good bread....of course! You can be grown up about something else! I feel the horns growing now! And about that dress...I love it!
ReplyDeleteI love lemon and capers so the sauce seems pretty perfect to me. Great healthy changes you made to your po boys--that means you can eat them twice as often. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks also for sending it to Souper Sundays.
Po'boys are good stuff. But that tartar sauce would totally make them for me. Sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteGuilt. Schmilt. Go for the tartar sauce and then take Lyndsay's (Kitchen Witch) advice and wear stretchy pants. Although, healthy(ier) and all, your Fish Po'Boys look pretty good.
ReplyDeleteCan I share a secret with ya? I've never had a po'boy. I know... I've been missing out! And, alligator sausage...I'd have to try that. I've only ever had the tail and it was fried.
ReplyDeleteI think you had a creative idea here to use the lemon caper sauce in place of the tartar sauce. It seems like it would be a zingy and zesty combination. Maybe on something else that is more virtuous? Oh well...it is the season for stretchy pants and comfort food. Hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving!
I have never had a po'boy - we don't do those here in New Zealand. I totally love the idea of that lemon and caper sauce - sounds exactly like my kind of thing - good alternative to tartar sauce.
ReplyDeleteSue :-)