This fully dressed and Overstuffed Shrimp Po’ Boy is a celebration of all things great out of the Bayou State! Succulent shrimp spill out of the bread, standing as a delicious reminder of Louisiana’s food culture: honoring plentiful and vibrant abundance. You can stick with tried-and-true mayonnaise unless you want to take it up a notch with a favorite dip or served alongside a helping of gumbo.
Overstuffed Shrimp Po’ Boy
Author: Jean-Paul Bourgeois
Makes 2
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 large beefsteak tomato
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 pounds peeled and deveined large fresh shrimp
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 3½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 3 cups extra-fine corn flour*
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 (10-inch) po’ boy loaves, split and some crumb scooped out
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Dill pickles
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 4 inches, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 400° to 425°. (If you don’t have a deep-fry thermometer, throw a pinch of corn flour into the oil. If it sizzles rapidly, the oil is near the right temperature.) Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice tomato. Lay slices on a plate, and season with salt.
- In a large bowl, combine shrimp, mustard, hot sauce, and ½ tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Do not prepare shrimp mixture more than 15 minutes before frying, as the vinegar in the mustard can make the shrimp tough. In a medium bowl, combine corn flour and remaining 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning.
- Coat shrimp in mustard mixture and then dredge in corn flour mixture, coating completely and shaking off any excess. Place shrimp on prepared wire rack up to 30 minutes before cooking.
- In batches, fry shrimp, stirring after 40 seconds, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from oil, and let drain on a cooling rack. Squeeze lemon juice over shrimp, and sprinkle with salt.
- On a 10-inch cast-iron griddle, melt butter over medium heat. Add po’ boy loaves, cut side down, and cook until toasted.
- Using a spatula, spread ¼ cup mayonnaise on cut sides of each loaf. Stuff with tomato, pickles, fried shrimp. Top with lettuce, and cut in half.
Notes
*Jean-Paul uses masa harina.
Watch this dish come together on our YouTube channel where a new episode of “Louisiana Cookin’ with Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois” is uploaded every Thursday!
