Shrimp Po’boy Sandwich

The New Orleans Po’Boy

Sinking your teeth into a crispy Cajun fried shrimp po’boy is an experience of a lifetime. Plump and spicy, battered and fried shrimp piled on a perfectly crisp French baguette and dripping with creamy remoulade sauce. That’s what I call living.

This sandwich is called a po’boy because it was originally sold to striking streetcar workers in New Orleans in the 1920s. They were tasty and cheap and quickly got the name, “poor boy” sandwich. They soon became famous among NOLA’s working class dockworkers and tradesmen and because they are so damn delicious they found their way into every corner of society in New Orleans. 

The best po’boy sandwich I’ve ever eaten can be found at Domilise’s Po’boy and Bar along the River in New Orleans.  Grab a bag of Zapp’s chips from the bar, an ice cold bottle of Abita beer or root beer and call it a day.

What makes that sandwich so good? In my humble opinion, it’s the bread. Or the fresher than fresh Gulf Shrimp caught just down the road. But then…there’s the sauce, the remoulade sauce. Definitely the sauce. And it could just be the fact that I was in New Orleans, eating with the locals, my friends and family. A fried shrimp po’boy just feels like “home”.

What’s in a Po’Boy?

Actually, you can order just about any kind of filling for your po’boy. Fried catfish is a local favorite as well as fried oysters and roast beef.

Once you’ve chosen your filling, you’ll need to decide if you want it “dressed” or not. “Dressed” in New Orleans speak means it’s topped with lettuce, juicy tomatoes, sliced dill pickle rounds, and mayo. And if you wanna go for the maximum flavor punch, add a healthy slather of remoulade sauce. Just a fancy name for spiced up mayo. And totally worth the plunge.

Make Your Own Po’Boy

Ok, so you can’t quite get to New Orleans this weekend for a sammy. What to do? Let me tell you, it’s easier than you think. You just have find the right ingredients. And the freshest.

The bread is important and I have found that the best place to get it is a the local Vietnamese Bakery. It’s also the same place I do to buy bread to make Banh Mi sandwiches. Vietnamese baguettes have the perfect combination of lightly crispy crust with a fluffy, chewy crumb. Necessary for a po’boy.

The shrimp is also pretty important. Be sure to get the freshest you can find in your local area. If all you can get your hands on is frozen, that’s ok. Rinse and clean them really well and they’ll do just fine after swimming around in the spicy batter.

I sometimes use shredded cabbage instead of iceberg lettuce, the traditional greenery used on po’boys. The reason for my deviation from the traditional is simply texture. I love a good crunch to my sandwich. Crunchy lettuce is definitely important.

And then there is the remoulade. I’ve made mine borrowing ingredients from the recipes of my favorite sandwich shops. It’s a bit of hybrid and you can do the same with yours to make it your own style.

I fry the shrimp using the same batter recipe and frying method that I use for my Crunchy Fried Dill Pickles. It’s easy and light, super crunchy coating on the shrimp.

Potato chips, icy cold beer or a root beer will take this sandwich over the top. Perfect companions for a dreamy, creamy crunchy concoction that will make you feel like you’re on vacation.