Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwiches
When the weather warms up, we turn to sandwiches for easy meals. Frying shrimp (or any shellfish) seems so fussy but it’s really very easy and not terribly messy. The Cajun seasoning in these Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwiches adds an amazing amount of flavor. Cornmeal adds a nice crunch and the whole sandwich is light and delicious. Perfect for a weeknight meal or a weekend lunch. We’ve made these with both fine cornmeal and medium grind cornmeal and prefer the latter for the nice crunch it gives the shrimp. You can use whatever you have on hand and we promise they will be amazing.
Enjoy Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwiches outdoors with an Improved Grapefruit Sour Cocktail among the beautiful spring foliage. You will be glad you did!
Adapted from the Simply Recipes recipe by Hank Shaw
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Dredging the shrimp in a cornmeal mixture makes them crisp and delicious!
Fry in hot oil just until the shrimp are cooked through.
Remove shrimp from oil and allow to drain briefly on a wire rack.
Assemble the sandwiches with a generous smear of remoulade, lettuce and tomato.
Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwiches
Ingredients
- ½ pound medium shrimp about 10, shelled, deveined and with tails removed
- 6 Tbsp medium grind cornmeal
- 6 Tbsp flour
- ½ Tbsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg beaten
- Peanut oil for frying
- 2-4 leaves lettuce butter or romaine
- 1 large tomato or 2 small, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 2 French sandwich rolls
- For the Remoulade:
- 2 Tbsp mustard preferably Creole mustard
- ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- ½ teaspoon pickle juice or vinegar
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce Crystal, Tabasco, etc
- 1 small garlic clove minced and smashed
- ½ Tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Make the remoulade sauce: mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside for 30 minutes or, even better, overnight.
- Heat oil in pan: Pour enough peanut oil in a large frying pan to come up about ½ inch, and set the pan over medium-high heat until a small amount of flour sizzles immediately when you drop some in.
- Dredge shrimp: Mix the cornmeal, flour, Cajun seasoning and salt in a large bowl. Working with a few at a time, dredge the shrimp in the egg, then in the cornmeal-flour mixture.
- Fry shrimp: Shake off any excess breading and fry the shrimp until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes total. Set the fried shrimp on rack set over paper towels to drain.
- Assemble sandwiches: To assemble the sandwiches, slice the sandwich loaves almost all the way through and smear remoulade on both the top and bottom. Lay down a layer of shredded lettuce on the bottom of the sandwich, then arrange the shrimp on top. Lay 3-4 slices of tomato on the shrimp and press the top of the bread down on the bottom, compressing the sandwich a little.