The air-conditioners have been on for about a week (the Woman’s freakishly-fast metabolism runs hot), we’re getting our first real summer rain, and I’ve been in polo shirts for the past five days. Even though summer is still three weeks away, it’s already here.
Ahh, summer. It the season when I remember why I will never be able to keep Kosher (or even be a vegetarian). There’s spare ribs to smoke, bacon cheeseburgers to grill, fish to catch, and Lipitor prescriptions to fill. As I gear up for my annual trip to the Outer Banks (OBX - respresent!), I stumbled on this New York Times recipe for soft-shell crab Poor Boy sandwiches Po’ Boys. Being in the New York Times, though, they call them “Poor Boy Sandwiches.” Facking Chardonnay-swilling Hampton-loving prats.
“THERE may be no bad way to prepare soft-shell crabs. They contain so much moisture they’re just about impossible to overcook, and they cook so quickly they’re hard to undercook. … Having said that, the near-universally favorite way to serve soft-shells is fried. Most people agree that the coating should contain some cornmeal, and that a quick dip in milk or eggs to thicken the coating and help it adhere is useful.
“When you put those fried crabs on bread, you have a riff on the New Orleans poor-boy. The specifics of this creation can be endlessly debated, but the fixings* usually include lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Oddly enough, the true poor-boy is made on less-than-fabulous bread, labeled “French” or “Italian” in supermarkets. The sandwich is vastly improved by removing some of the mushy white crumb, and toasting what is left.
“(After a few tries using better bread, I began to understand the logic: the best baguettes are too tough to use for stout fillings like the crabs.)“
O RLY? The New York Times understands a po’ boy. I beg to differ.
Here’s where I’m coming from: I eat sandwiches from skeevy joints. The best Cubano I’ve ever had was from a bat-and-tackle gas station shop called “Mervis Market” in Okeechobee, FL. I buy oysters by the peck at Awful Arthur’s, a raw bar in Nags Head, NC. I’ve eaten ribs from street vendors in DC who use an old oil drum for a smoker. I’ve knocked back beers while eating gator bits and conch fritters at a roadside dive in St. Augustine. And I eat sliders from barmaids of ill-repute at dive bars in New York. The New York Times writers eat cucumber sandwiches while windsurfing at Martha’s Vineyard.
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Okay, I think I’m becoming a lush. Another night, another Martini. This time, the Vesper Martini. That’s right, I tried the drink from “Casino Royale.” I have to admit it - it’s tasty.
If you haven’t seen “Casino Royale” you should. It has a great chase scene and Daniel Craig is better than Pierce Brosnan. The plot is simple: A terrorist financier has lost a shitton of money that belonged to one of his clients. Bond has to enter a poker tournament with a $150 million pot and win in order to stop the evil financier from funding more bombings. At one point during the match, Bond orders a somewhat complicated drink: The Vesper Martini.
The Vesper is a cross between a real Martini and a “vodkatini” inasmuch as it is made with both gin and vodka. Instead of vermouth, it uses Lillet. My research found that the original Lillet is no longer available, but Lillet Blanc will do. Cinzano Bianco can also be used. I have none but next time I buy vermouth I may pick some up. Recipe for the Vesper after the jump.
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Tonight, for my post-cinema pleasure, I am drinking a Gordon’s London Extra Dry Martini. Like the other night, the ratio is four parts gin to one part Noilly-Prat vermouth shaken for sixty seconds with three ice cubes made from filtered water. I paired it with a plate of homemade Shrimp Pad Thai. The basil in the sauce will perfectly offset the botanicals in the gin.
