There are all kinds of po’ boy sandwiches, most of them consisting of meat or fried seafood on a french roll, with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and pickles. My hubby loves po’ boys, whether shrimp or oyster, so I thought I’d make some for him as a weekend lunch treat. I admit I’d never made them before, so probably perused about 20 recipes to craft my own version.
These came out just beautifully, with tons of flavor. Tanginess from the remoulade (the mayonnaise mixture I made) and pickles, spiciness from the spices and the Crystal hot sauce, sweetness and crispiness from the fried shrimp, and coolness from the lettuce and tomato.
This recipe makes 2 sandwiches, but could easily be doubled.
Ingredients for the shrimp:
8 large (about 1/3 lb) uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
vegetable or canola oil for frying
Ingredients for remoulade:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp of the spice mixture from above
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped, drained capers
1 scallion, white and most of green parts, thinly sliced
4 dashes Crystal or other Louisiana hot sauce
For the sandwich:
2 soft french rolls, split lengthwise
iceberg lettuce
sliced ripe tomato
dill pickles, thinly sliced
Crystal hot sauce (or other Louisiana hot sauce)
Mis together the kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, oregano, thyme and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove 1 tsp of the spice mix and reserve for the remoulade. Toss the remainder of the spice mix with the shrimp in a bowl.
Make the remoulade by mixing all ingredients together in a bowl.
Put the buttermilk in a small bowl, and mix the cornmeal and flour together in a separate bowl. Pour the oil in a sauce pan or skillet to a depth of 2″, and heat over medium high heat to 350 degrees (use a candy or a deep fry thermometer). Place a plate lined with paper towels near the stove. Dip each shrimp into the buttermilk, and then coat in the flour/cornmeal mixture, then place in the hot oil. Cook until crisp and browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to the paper towel-lined plate to drain.
To assemble the sandwiches, spread both sides of the roll with the remoulade (you’ll want to use all of it to give the right richness and tang to the sandwich. Layer the lettuce, then tomatoes, then pickles on top of the remoulade, top with 4 shrimp per sandwich, then garnish with Crystal hot sauce to taste. Top with the other half of the roll, and enjoy.
Bon appétit!
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