Cajun Shrimp Po' Boy

 

New Orleans has laid claim to a powerful collection of iconic food, but no dish is as prevalent and adored as the po’ boy sandwich. The history of this humble fare is a rich one. The story dates back to 1929, during the outbreak of a long, bitter and historically violent transit strike. Clovis and Benjamin Martin, former streetcar operators, and sibling owners of the Martin Bros. Coffee Stand and Restaurant, offered support to the down and out workers, by promising to feed them, with free sandwiches, for the duration of the dispute. Legend has it that anytime a striker approached the restaurant, one of the brothers would announce; “Here comes another poor boy,” hence the name. The brothers are also credited with re-engineering the French bread. They worked with a local baker to develop a 40-inch loaf of bread with a uniform rectangular shape from end to end. This innovation allowed them to sell half-sandwiches, as well as other sizes. Shortly thereafter, the Great Depression hit and the “over-sized” sandwich became an affordable way for New Orleanians to feed their families. As shellfish was cheap and abundant (at that time), po’ boys were soon being filled with shrimp and oysters. And the rest is sandwich history; a delicious bite of New Orleans culture. Since the French bread used in a po’ boy is available only in New Orleans, it’s virtually impossible to duplicate this sandwich elsewhere. Alas, since it’s doubtful I will ever have the opportunity to taste the “real thing,” rather than deprive my cravings, I’ll settle for a darn good imitation.

Ingredients for wet and dry mixes (shrimp prep)

 

Ingredients to "dress" po' boy before serving

 
Trust me, this recipe is not as complicated as it may seem. I prefer to make my own Creole seasoning (Emeril’s ESSENCE), because I think it has more “bite” to it than store-bought brands. I make up my seasoning ahead of time, so I always have a pre-made batch available in my pantry. However, if you have a store-bought brand of Creole seasoning you prefer, then substitute that. 

The “wet” and “dry” mixes are just your standard egg wash and seasoned flour mix for marinating and coating your shrimp before frying.

The Spicy Tartar Sauce is my basic tartar sauce recipe, but combined with store-bought cocktail sauce, to give it a little kick.

It’s easiest if you prepare everything you need beforehand; then all you need to do is fry your fish and dress your po’ boy. 

Peel and devein shrimp. Mince garlic; set aside.

Ingredients for Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning

Prepare Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning:  Combine all ingredients in resealable plastic bag, or air-tight container. Shake well. 

Ingredients for Spicy Tartar Sauce

Prepare Spicy Tartar Sauce:  In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, pickle relish, lemon juice,garlic, chopped onion and cocktail sauce. Stir well to completely blend. Store, refrigerated, until ready to use.

 

Prepare Wet Mix:  In large (gallon-size) resealable bag, combine eggs, milk, ESSENCE, garlic powder, onion powder and Tabasco. Whisk well to combine.

Prepare Dry Mix:  In large (gallon-size) resealable bag, combine flour, cornmeal, ESSENCE, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt. Shake well to combine.

Place shrimp in bag of “wet mix” (egg wash). Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning bag after 15 minutes.

Drain the wet mix from the shrimp. Transfer the drained shrimp to the bag of “dry mix” (flour mixture). Shake well to coat all shrimp.

Transfer shrimp to a baking sheet. Reserve the remaining dry mix; set aside for later use. Refrigerate coated shrimp for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot, or preheat a deep fryer to 360° F.

Remove shrimp from refrigerator. Place shrimp back in reserved bag of dry mix. Shake to coat one last time.

Fry the shrimp in the preheated oil, in batches, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Melt butter. Stir in minced garlic. Split the bread in half (without going all the way through). Brush both sides of the cut bread with butter mixture. 

Toast (buttered side up) in preheated 375° F. oven for 5 to 6 minutes, or until exterior of bread is crisp. If desired, broil buttered side to lightly toast top.

Spread the Spicy Tartar Sauce on both sides of the bread.

Divide shrimp evenly among the sandwiches. Garnish with lettuce, tomato, and sliced pickles (if using). Serve with hot sauce and additional Spicy Tartar Sauce.

CAJUN SHRIMP PO’ BOY
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

 
INGREDIENTS:

• Peanut oil (or vegetable oil) for frying
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 loaves French bread, or 4 smaller sub rolls
• 1/2 stick of butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Prepared Spicy Tartar Sauce (recipe follows)
• Shredded lettuce, for serving
• Sliced tomato, for serving
• Sliced dill pickles, optional, for serving
• Hot sauce, optional, for serving

Wet Mix:

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon ESSENCE (recipe follows)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce

Dry Mix:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 3 Tablespoons ESSENCE (recipe follows)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning:

• 2-1/2 Tablespoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt**
• 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon dried thyme

Spicy Tartar Sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup drained sweet pickle relish
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons prepared cocktail sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning:  
Combine all ingredients in resealable plastic bag, or air-tight container. Shake well.

Prepare Spicy Tartar Sauce:
In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, pickle relish, lemon juice, garlic, chopped onion and cocktail sauce. Stir
well to completely blend. Store, refrigerated, until ready to use.

Prepare Wet Mix:
In large (gallon-size) resealable bag, combine eggs, milk, ESSENCE, garlic powder, onion powder and
Tabasco. Whisk well to combine.

Prepare Dry Mix:
In large (gallon-size) resealable bag, combine flour, cornmeal, ESSENCE, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt. 
Shake well to combine.


1. Peel and devein shrimp. Place in bag of wet mix. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning bag
    after 15 minutes.
2. Drain the wet mix from the shrimp. Transfer the drained shrimp to the bag of dry mix. Shake well to
    coat all shrimp. Transfer shrimp to baking sheet. Set remaining dry mix aside (for later use).
    Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot, or preheat a deep fryer to 360° F.
4. Remove shrimp from refrigerator. Place shrimp back in reserved bag of dry mix. Shake to coat.
5. Fry the shrimp in the preheated oil, in batches, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
7. Split the bread in half (without going all the way through). Combine the melted butter and garlic.
    Brush both sides of the cut bread with butter mixture. Toast (buttered side up) in preheated 375° F.
    oven for 5 to 6 minutes, or until exterior of bread is crisp. If desired, broil buttered side to lightly toast.
8. Spread the Spicy Tartar Sauce on both sides of the bread.
9. Divide shrimp evenly among the sandwiches. Garnish with lettuce, tomato, and sliced pickles (if
    using). Serve with hot sauce and additional Spicy Tartar Sauce.


**Note: Original version of this seasoning calls for 2 Tablespoons of salt, which I fell is far too salty, so I adjusted down to 2 teaspoons.