Lump Crab Po' Boy

As I was prowling the Tastespotting website, I stumbled upon a recipe for a Lump Crab Po'Boy. First of all, I was intrigued by the picture because it was gorgeous and I love me some good food porn. (Warning: this blog's pic is nicer than my po' boy pictures, but I'll explain why in a bit). Second of all, the website that was boasting this fine food specimen is called Unsportswomanlike Conduct. Each week (or every other week) she makes food that is inspired by a football team. The week she made the Lump Crab Po' Boy, she had the New Orleans Saints in mind. I can't really tell if she likes the Pittsburgh Steelers or not, but I wonder if she'll ever make a Primanti Bros. sandwich...Is there a suggestion box available?

Lump Crab Po' Boy
adapted from Unsportswomanlike Conduct
makes 2-3 sandwiches

• 12-16 oz super lump crab meat (you can also use jumbo lump crab meat if you like, but super lump is fine as well -- and cheaper!)
• 1 tbsp creole seasoning (I used Emeril's Original Essence, but any creole seasoning will do)

• ~1/4 cup mayonnaise
• ~2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 shallot, diced finely
• 1 tsp garlic, diced finely
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• squirt of dijon mustard
• ~1/4 tsp paprika
• ~1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

• 2-3 Sourdough loaves

1) Prepare the crab: Toss the crab with the creole seasoning.

2) Prepare the remoulade sauce: Combine the remaining ingredients. Mix well.

3) Prepare the sandwich:
a. Slice the sourdough loaves 3/4 of the way through, making a pocket for the crab and remoulade sauce.
b. Add some remoulade sauce in the bread "pocket".
c. Stuff with seasoned crab meat.
d. Add more remoulade sauce on top of the crab meat.

The bread provided a bit of a crunch, along with a chewy texture. This was a nice contrast to the creamy, spicy crab and the remoulade sauce. Lettuce and tomatoes would increase the "crunchiness factor" and also add an element of freshness to this sandwich, but I was traveling and didn't have any, so I sucked it up. You can add them to your own sandwich when you make this recipe. Also, since I was traveling, the only camera I had on hand was my point and shoot, which takes OK-quality pictures. So there's the reason my "after" pictures aren't that great.

But this could be the simplest recipe to date! One of the things I loved about this recipe is that just about anything can be substituted in the crab mixture or the remoulade sauce. If you want to add some other spices to the crab, or if you love mayonnaise then my all means go wild. So feel free to modify the recipe to your heart's content. It's all about what you like, so make sure to make it your own.