With August being National Sandwich month, I have been a bit obsessed with celebrating this marvelous invention, and have been enjoying experimenting with some variations of my own. Then the other day I overheard someone talking about a soft-shell crab po’ boy. As I wiped the drool off my chin, I started thinking about making such a delight. Since the crabs are a bit hard to come by here in the mile high city, my imagination began working overtime. We don’t have seafood, but what we do have right now, is an over abundance of zucchini, so why not make a sandwich with squash, that would hope to satisfy my po’ boy craving. Well I have to say the results were pretty spectacular, and this one is a definite “must do again”.
- 3 medium-sized yellow or green squash grated
- ½ yellow onion grated
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 green onions finely sliced
- ¼ cup flour
- 1½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Cajun spice
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- Hoagie style roll or French bread
- pickle
- tomato
- lettuce
- mayonnaise
- Creole mustard
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Begin by grating the squash and onion into a large bowl. Add salt and mix well. Place grated squash and onions in a colander or strainer and allow to drain for 30 minutes (the salt will help to pull the liquid out). Squeeze out all remaining liquid using a potato ricer or by squeezing with paper towels.
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Add the green onion, flour, and spices to the squash and mix well to coat. Add the egg and mix well to combine. The mixture should be somewhat thick.
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Heat ½” of vegetable oil in a large skillet until shimmering.
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Carefully spoon batter into the hot oil.
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Using the back of the spoon slightly flatten the batter to make a “patty”. Fry until the edges are slightly golden, then carefully turn and cook until browned.
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When golden brown, place on a wire rack over newspaper or a brown bag to drain.
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To complete the sandwich, carefully split open the Hoagie (the traditional sandwich is served on a hinged roll) and spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on the bottom side of the roll. Add the pickle, lettuce, and tomato. Place the fritters in the sandwich and top with several dollops of creole mustard.
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Enjoy!
Traditional Po’boy sandwiches are made with shrimp or soft shell crab. This vegetarian version is very tasty and will really hit the spot!
