Fish Tempura Po'boy

New Orleans! The Big Easy… The Crescent City… NOLA has a special place in my heart, my soul, and my stomach. A recent trip had me seeking out good eats from Uptown, CBD, French Quarter, Lower Ninth… the list goes on and on.

So, it is with great care and respect that I decided to tackle perhaps the most humble of Louisiana staples, the Po’boy! It’s what’s on the inside that counts and today, that’s tempura! This is the ULTIMATE fried fish sandwich complete with an addictive Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE ROASTED RED PEPPER REMOULADE:
⅔ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp rice wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp hot sauce
1 ½ tsp honey
½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1 ½ TBSP stone ground mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
3 TBSP dill pickle, diced
1 stalk green onion green part only, minced
1 TBSP capers, minced
1 TBSP chopped parsley
1 ½ tsp paprika
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp Kosher salt

FOR THE FISH TEMPURA PO’BOY
500ml cold seltzer water
1 large egg
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder
250 grams + ½ cup of cake flour
48 oz vegetable oil
2 lbs cod

We kick things off with a quick and easy Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade. Add mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, rice wine vinegar, hot sauce, honey, and roasted red peppers to a blender or mixing cup. Blend until smooth. Add in stone ground mustard, fresh garlic, dill pickle, green onions, capers, parsley, paprika, cayenne pepper, and Kosher salt. Mix to combine and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 days to allow the flavors to develop.

For the tempura batter, whisk together cold seltzer water, a large egg, and kosher salt until the mixture is smooth. Sift together cake flour and baking soda and then gently mix the flour in with the liquid a ⅓ at a time being sure to not over mix. It’s fine if the mixture is a little lumpy. Over mixing will cause the gluten to develop resulting in a heavier and less crispy end product.

Heat vegetable oil to 350F. Season ½ inch thick filets of cod fish with kosher salt then lightly dust the fish with cake flour. Pour in about a ½ cup of batter into the oil in a slow gentle stream. This will create tiny particles of batter. After about 20 seconds, scoop the crispy pieces over to the corner of the pot. Coat a filet of fish in the batter and then place on top of the crispy bits. Spoon over some bits. Allow the fish to fry for 10 - 20 seconds so that the particles stick to the surface. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Carefully move the fish to a wire rack to drain.

Assemble your po’boy by dressing a toasted French baguette with the Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade. Layer on tomatoes, dill pickles, lettuce, and the fish tempura.