Fish Po'Boys with Spicy Tartar Sauce

I love it when Paul cooks. He has some great ideas and enjoys giving me a break from planning every once in a while. The other day, we were in the grocery store and he spied flounder fillets for sale in our fish market. "I've never had flounder!" he declared and before I could protest, we had a bag of flounder fillets in our cart.

"I'll come up with something to make with it. And it will be delicious!" he promised me.

Po'Boys and Apple Slices! A Gourmet meal!

What better opportunity to utilize our supply of flounder filets than a Friday in Lent? Paul scoured the internet for ideas for a recipe and came across this one from Martha Stewart. I thought it super funny that he chose to use a Martha recipe because he absolutely despises her. Occasionally, I will watch her baking show on PBS and he always comments on how condescending and annoying her demeanor is on television. He just thinks she acts super stuck-up about her kitchen knowledge, especially compared to other arguably more accomplished television chefs like Jacques Pepin or Hubert Keller. However, he likes po'boys and we already had most of the ingredients on hand for this recipe so he went with it anyway.

The po'boys were delicious!! The recipe came together really, really quick and everyone enjoyed them. I was unsure whether the kids would eat the whole sandwich, but they happily crunched their way through! The tartar sauce was incredible. I had a little trouble getting Matthew to try it at first, but once I told him that he did not have to have it on his sandwich if he truly disliked it, he sampled a small spoonful and discovered that he actually really liked the taste! He asked for a generous portion to be slathered on his sandwich! I was happy to oblige.

Thanks Paul for the wonderful meal!

Fish Po'Boys with Spicy Tartar Sauce
barely adapted from Martha Stewart

Note: If you don't have flounder, any mild white fish - like sole, tilapia, or even catfish - can be used. It will have a slightly different flavor (flounder is extremely mild), but will still be delicious!

For the Fish:
1 pound flounder fillets
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

Cut fillets into 1 1/2-inch wide strips. Pat fillets dry. Toss with cornmeal and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown fish on both sides (about 7-10 minutes total), being careful when turning the fish as flounder is especially delicate. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with additional salt if necessary.

For the Tartar Sauce:
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chili sauce (the ketchup condiment, not the Asian condiment!)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
A dash of lemon juice (to taste)
2 tablespoons grainy mustard (we used Grey Poupon Country Mustard)
2 tablespoons finely chopped gherkins or pickles
Hot Sauce, like Frank's or Tabasco (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season with hot sauce and lemon juice to taste.

For the Po'Boys:
4 soft French Bread Rolls, split
1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced
Romaine Lettuce
Red Onion

Spread a generous amount of the tartar sauce on both sides of rolls. Add lettuce, tomato, onion, and fish. Serve!