Chill

Shrimp Po’ Boys

by:
October  4, 2022
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Shrimp Po’ Boys
Photo by MJ Kroeger, prop styling by Molly Fitzsimons, food styling by Lauren Lapenna
  • Prep time 1 hour
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • makes 4 (8-inch) po' boys
Author Notes

Delicious po’ boys are hard to come by unless you are lucky enough to make a trip down to the South. Food always tastes better when you get the chance to eat at their place of origin! Unfortunately, I live in New York, which is pretty darn far away from Louisiana, so it was my mission to re-create what I think a shrimp po’ boy tastes like from Louisiana. A lot of people like to put in already made Creole seasoning from the grocery store in their recipe, but I found that it tended to be way too salty and I'd rather be able to control the spice and salt levels myself. However, if you prefer the convenience of using premade Creole seasoning, go for it! Just be careful with how salty it can be.

Although it seems silly to chill the battered shrimp for 15 minutes in the fridge, do not skip this step! Resting the coated shrimp in the fridge makes the coating adhere to the shrimp more, so that when you go to fry the shrimp, the coating does not fall off as easily. I mean, how annoying would that be if you spent time breading the shrimp to only find naked shrimp for your sandwich at the end? So make sure you rest the battered shrimp!

I love all sandwiches, especially on a nicely toasted baguette, but what I don’t love is when all the ingredients in my sandwich fall out on me. Isn’t it annoying when every time you take a bite out of a sandwich, more of the ingredients fall on your plate than on your sandwich? Well, to help solve this issue, I do something called “gutting” my sandwich bread. You probably heard this when you order at a bagel place. This means you are hollowing out some of your bread so that you are left with mostly the exterior of your bread. The hollowed-out bread will become a deeper vessel for everything so things do not fall out as much. Gutting the bread is not original to any shrimp po’ boys recipe and is my personal preference, so feel free to leave that step out; I, of course, eat the bread I scoop out! —Catherine Yoo

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Shrimp
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup fine-ground cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Remoulade & Assembly
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle chips, plus 1 cup whole dill pickle chips
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon horseradish mustard
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil
  • 4 (8-inch) baguettes, cut horizontally, toasted
  • 1 small head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
  • 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • Kosher salt
Directions
  1. Shrimp
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, 1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons of the salt, the hot sauce, and black pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to combine. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  3. In another medium bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
  4. Remove any excess marinade from the shrimp. Tightly press the shrimp down into the flour mixture, making sure each is thoroughly coated. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Chill the shrimp in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  1. Remoulade & Assembly
  2. While the shrimp chills, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, finely chopped pickle chips, lemon juice, horseradish mustard, paprika, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and black pepper. Season with salt; set the remoulade aside.
  3. In a large pot or Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, heat the oil until the thermometer registers 350°F. Working in several batches, fry the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp, until golden brown and cooked through. Before frying a new batch, skim the oil from excess floating crumbs. Transfer the shrimp to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and immediately season with salt.
  4. Scoop out some of the bread from the toasted baguette to create a “boat.” Generously spread the reserved remoulade sauce on both sides of the cut loaf. Top the bottom of the bread with the lettuce, tomatoes, and whole dill pickle chips. Arrange the fried shrimp on top. Sandwich both halves together and enjoy while warm.
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