Recipe for the best shrimp po’boy sandwich

Along with the Banh Mi and the Monte Cristo, the Po’boy is one of my favorite sandwiches of all time. Although they can be filled with anything from sausages to roast beef, I’m a fan of those with fried seafood like oysters, catfish or shrimp. “Dressed” with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and a generous layer of remoulade, the Po’ Boys are like a festival of crispy, crunchy, creamy, salty and tangy textures and tastes that make your mouth come back for a another bite.

Although the origins of this American regional classic are hotly disputed, the name Po’ Boy is likely a reference to the “poor boys” who consumed this humble sub. I know many of you are probably struggling to reconcile the high price of shrimp and oysters with the name, but not so long ago crustaceans and molluscs were considered the dregs of the sea, reserved for the working class. Lobster, for example, was often ground up and used as fertilizer, or given to prisoners, in which case it could only be distributed once a week as it was considered cruel and unusual punishment

For my Po’ Boy, I like to use smoked paprika both in the shrimp seasoning and in the remoulade. This gives the sandwich a wonderful earthy flavor that is the perfect counterpoint to the brined shrimp. To make sure each piece of shrimp is well seasoned, I like to sprinkle seasoning directly on it before tossing it into a mixture of cornmeal and flour. This forms a thin, crispy shell around each shrimp, with the unmistakable crunch of cornmeal pellets. Although I prefer my coating thin, if you want your shrimp to have a very thick coating, dust the shrimp with flour first, then dip them in a beaten egg before dredging them in the cornmeal.

Crispy savory shrimp with a creamy, tangy, smoky remoulade, crisp iceberg lettuce, sweet tomatoes, and crispy, tangy dill pickles, all nestled between two halves of soft French bread with a crunchy crust, the finished sandwich is a masterpiece. artwork of color, texture, flavor and aromas.

To stay true to the humble origins of the po boy, I have a few preferences when it comes to ingredients. The first is that I use small shrimp for this recipe. Not only are small shrimp less expensive, but they also have more surface area than large shrimp, giving you a better coating to shrimp ratio. The second thing is the bread. Ideally, you’d get a loaf from Leidenheimer Baking Company, but since they’re not available everywhere, look for cheap French bread. Cheaper bread tends to have a thinner crispy crust and soft interior, making it perfect for this sandwich.

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