August is National Sandwich Month - Seafood Style
There are some things in life that don't need reinventing.
A piece of hot, crispy, fried fish on a potato bun, maybe a little tartar sauce, maybe a lot. That's it. That's a classic, Chesapeake Bay style sandwich, pure, simple, delicious. The customer favorite around here is spot, croaker, and flounder. Personally, nothing beats the flounder for me, with it's crisp edges and soft white tender meat.
Then there are the sandwiches that call for a little more - piled high po'boys, seasonal soft shell crabs, crab cakes, all with lettuce, tomato, sauce and the extras. And for National Sandwich Month, we're celebrating all of them.
The Classic Fried Fish Sandwich
There's something to be said for keeping it simple. A classic fried fish sandwich has been a seafood counter staple for generations: fresh fish, lightly breaded, fried until golden and served hot on a soft, plain bun.
No fancy bread. No towering toppings necessary. Just good fish cooked right and full of flavor.
Depending on what's fresh and available, different fish can make their way onto our Today's Specials menu. That's part of the beauty of buying seafood from a working seafood market - the catch changes, but the tradition doesn't.
Then There's the Po'boy
If the classic fish sandwich is all about simplicity, the po'boy happily goes in the other direction. A good seafood po'boy starts with plenty of fried seafood tucked into a crusty roll and dressed with cool, fresh toppings and sauce. Shrimp, oysters, or fish all work beautifully, with that combination of hot and crispy against cool lettuce and tomato making the sandwich.
It's messy. It's filling. And that's exactly how it should be.
The Crab Lovers Delight
Then summer gives us something we can't have all year.
Our Crab Lovers Delight brings together two Chesapeake favorites in one seriously seafood-heavy meal: a 4 oz crab cake on a fried soft shell crab BLT.
The soft shell is fried whole so you get that unmistakable crispy exterior and sweet soft crab inside, paired with bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Try it with boom boom sauce for a little kick.
Sadly, this one comes with a deadline. Soft shell crabs are seasonal, and summer is already beginning to wind down. When the soft shells are gone, the Crab Lovers Delight goes with them. So if it's been sitting on your summer food list, August is the time.
Make a Chesapeake Bay Wild Blue Catfish Sandwich at Home
You don't have to come to the restaurant to celebrate Nation Sandwich Month. Pick up some wild Chesapeake Bay blue catfish from the market and make one of the classics at home.
Blue catfish has a mild, firm meat that holds up particularly well to frying - and eating wild blue catfish also helps create demand for an invasive species that has become increasingly abundant in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Crispy Wild Blue Catfish Sandwich
For 4 Sandwiches:
• 1 1/2 pounds wild blue catfish fillets
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup cornmeal*
• 1/2 cup flour*
• Seafood seasoning, to taste
• Black pepper
• Oil for frying (we recommend vegetable oil)
• 4 soft sandwich buns
• tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles, optional
Cut the catfish into sandwich-sized portions (about 4-6 oz) and soak in buttermilk for 15-30 minutes.
Combine the cornmeal, flour, and seasoning. Remove the fish from the buttermilk, let the excess drip off and coat thoroughly in the breading mixture.
Fry in oil heated to approximately 350°F until golden and crisp and the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
Then comes the decisions: Dress it up with the fixings or just put the hot piece of fish straight onto a plain soft bun and call it done.
Around here, both are perfectly acceptable.
*We also sell some great fish fry at the Market.
One Month. Plenty of Sandwiches.
National Sandwich Month lasts all August, which gives you plenty of time to find your favorite.
Grab a classic fried fish sandwich. Get a po'boy. Catch the Crab Lovers Delight before soft shell season ends. Or stop by the seafood counter, take some fresh fish home and build your own.
Sometimes the best way to enjoy seafood really is just to put it on a bun.
Feast like a Local.