Fried Green Tomato Po' Boy

This sandwich takes me back to the first time I walked into a sandwich shop in New Orleans and asked if they could make me a vegetarian po' boy. The lady behind the counter told me that the original po' boy was made with french fries, lettuce, and tomato, and they'd be happy to make this historic sandwich for me. I walked in to the same shop the next day and they had added the french fry po' boy to the menu.

Now I'll admit, I get New Orleans wrong all the time. I mean, I know where it is on a map. I love that city, and I know what the food should taste like, but I often miss the mark flavor-wise when I make Big Easy cuisine in my own kitchen.

Not this time, though! This fried green tomato po' boy is just perfect. The dredge has a hint of nutmeg, and the N'awlins sauce puts it over the top...way over the top. This one should be on the menu, too!

Fried Green Tomatoes:

4-5 medium green tomatoes (sliced into 1/2-inch slices)

fried green tomato batter*

fried green tomato dredge**

canola oil

Pour 2 inches of canola oil into a soup pot. Heat oil to medium-high. Dip each green tomato slice into the batter and allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle dredge over tomato allowing excess to go back into the bowl. Fry in batches for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Fried Green Tomato Batter*

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

about 1 cup of water (to make it as thick as pancake batter)

Whisk these ingredients until smooth and set aside.

Fried Green Tomato Dredge**

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together. The cornstarch adds crunch, and the cornmeal adds texture. It's the perfect dredge.

N'awlins Sauce

2 tbsp. vegan mayo

1 tbsp. mustard

1/2 tsp. vegetarian Worchestershire

dash of hot sauce

Mix until well incorporated.

To assemble the sandwich, slice a crusty french loaf in half. Pull the bread out of the top half creating a channel for the ingredients. Spread some creamy goat cheese with chives (4 ounces of goat cheese mixed with 1/4 cup chives) on the bottom and some Naw'lins sauce on the top. Layer in fresh lettuce or spinach, sliced red tomato, and 3 or four fried green tomatoes. Then...crunch! So good.