The Need to Know Classic That Is The: Shrimp Po'Boy

The last time I went out for a meal on a patio, I ordered a sandwich New Orleans made famous. It was a warm autumn day in 2020, a perfect day for a lunch date. Because of its patio and proximity to our home my wife and I decided to go to Taproom 260. After scanning the menu, instead of the chicken wings or tacos I usually order when at a bar, I went with a shrimp po'boy. During a streetcar strike in 1929 in New Orleans, Benny and Clovis Martin of the Martin Brothers’ French Market Restaurant and Coffee stand gave free sandwiches to the working-class members of Division 194 - the po'boys. Served between a style of French bread with a crispier crust and fluffier centre than a baguette, these sandwiches usually consisted of roast beef or fried seafood. I wasn't expecting much from a sandwich made so far from Louisana but I was pleasantly surprised when my order arrived. The shrimp were cooked well, the toppings were fresh and their in-house remoulade (a mayonnaise-based sauce) had a nice kick to it. It may still be a while before we can eat on a restaurant patio again, so in the meantime, here's a recipe for this superior seafood sandwich for you to make and bring with you whenever you can eat outdoors.

Ingredients for two sandwiches

10-12 medium peeled and deveined shrimp
240 mL buttermilk
240 g all-purpose flour
150 g yellow cornmeal
75 g shredded iceberg lettuce
60 mL hot sauce, divided into two equal portions
50 g mayonnaise
15 g kosher salt, divided into three equal portions, plus more to taste
3 g cayenne pepper
3 g dried oregano
3 g dried thyme
3 g freshly ground black pepper
3 g garlic powder
2 10-inch po'boy rolls or French hero rolls, halved lengthwise
1 beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced
vegetable oil, for frying

1.  In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp in the buttermilk, one portion of the hot sauce and one portion of the salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Whisk another portion of the salt with the flour, cornmeal, cayenne, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and pepper in another medium bowl, and set it aside. In another bowl, mix the remaining hot sauce with the mayonnaise until it's a smooth consistency, and set it aside.
3. Heat 5 cm of oil to 177°C in a medium Dutch oven, then line a plate with paper towels. Get the shrimp from the fridge, remove them from the marinade, and toss and coat them well in the flour mixture. Working in batches, fry the shrimp until they are golden brown and cooked through, about 1 minute. Carefully take the shrimp from the oil and put them on the prepared plate to drain, immediately seasoning them with the remaining salt. Let the oil return to temperature between batches.
4. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on both halves of the rolls. On the bottom halves, divide the fried shrimp, then top with the sliced tomatoes, and the shredded lettuce. Place the top halves on the sandwiches, then slice them in half and serve.