Shrimp Po’ Boys feature crispy Cajun-seasoned fried shrimp (prawns) stuffed into rolls with crunchy lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a generous slather of tangy remoulade sauce. This famous Louisiana classic is one heck of a sandwich!
PS Shrimp = prawns for us Aussies, but I’m sticking with the American name here because calling it a Prawn Po’ Boys just feels wrong! 🙂
I really want to tell you that Po’ Boys are the first thing I hunted down when I touched down in New Orleans, but fried chicken won out purely because it was closer to my hotel and impatience got the better of me!
But Po’ Boys came shortly thereafter, and boy oh boy, New Orleans sets the bar high for memorable sandwiches. I will never forget the first bite I had of the crusty bread stuffed to bursting with the crispy fried shrimp, crunchy lettuce and tangy sauce. Messy, generous and SO good!
Po’ Boys are having a bit of a moment here in Sydney and after recently paying a ridiculous amount for a disappointing one (soggy shrimp, overcooked, bland seasoning) I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and make my own. Yes the crispy shrimp has to be fried, but it’s actually a lot less hassle than most fried foods — they get batch coated rather than one by one, and they’re shallow fried rather than deep fried, so it doesn’t splatter or spit.
What are Po’ Boys?
Po’ Boys are New Orleans’ famous overstuffed sandwiches made with crusty French bread and fillings ranging from slow cooked beef to crispy fried oysters and fish. Shrimp (prawns) is one of the most popular versions. The name is short for “poor boy”, said to date back to 1929 when two New Orleans brothers served sandwiches to streetcar workers, calling them “poor boys”. The name stuck, and so did the sandwiches.
Ironically, here in Sydney, there is nothing “poor” about the price tag of Po’ Boys — $30 and up! You can make this entire recipe for 4 people for that amount.
Ingredients in Shrimp Po’ Boys
Here’s what you need to make Shrimp Po’ Boys. You’ll find everything at regular grocery stores, or there are easy substitutions that won’t compromise the end result.
1. For the crispy Cajun seasoned shrimp
The shrimp (prawns) are coated in a flour coating that is boldly spiced with Cajun flavours. It makes the shrimp so tasty, they’re hard to resist snacking on!
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Shrimp / prawns – Use frozen for convenience, thaw thoroughly and pat dry before use. Medium-sized shrimp work best so they are not too big to stuff into the sandwich, though prawns labelled “large” are also fine. Avoid small shrimp — they cook through too quickly before the outside has time to get crunchy, and they’re fiddly to handle in large numbers.
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Fine cornmeal – Traditionally used for the shrimp coating, this is dried ground corn which gives the shrimp extra crunchy little gritty bits. You can substitute with cornflour/cornstarch with very little difference in the final result. If you want to be authentic, use fine ground cornmeal, not coarse.
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Flour – Plain flour / all-purpose flour.
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Cajun spices – Pantry spices! The cayenne gives the shrimp the faintest warmth; feel free to omit it if you prefer.
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Egg – This is to make the coating stick to the prawns.
2. For the remoulade sauce
The sauce for Po’ Boys is typically mayonnaise or a tangy remoulade — a Louisiana-style sauce made with mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and spices that goes especially well with crispy fried seafood.
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Mustard – Remoulade is traditionally made with Creole mustard, which is tangy, grainy and has a little spicy kick. A good substitute is Dijon or yellow mustard mixed with wholegrain mustard. Yellow mustard gives a warmer colour; Dijon has a slightly more sophisticated flavour. Either works beautifully with all the other flavours in the sauce.
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Mayonnaise – Use whole egg mayonnaise or Kewpie, which have a smoother flavour than regular mayonnaise, which can be too sweet or too vinegary.
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Horseradish cream – Adds a sharp, peppery bite that gives the remoulade an extra kick without making it chilli-hot. Use prepared horseradish cream, not fresh horseradish, which is much stronger.
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Pickle juice – Literally the brine from the jar of pickles used in the sandwich.
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Hot sauce – Tabasco or any other hot sauce. Omit if you prefer it mild.
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Garlic – Finely grated or crushed using a garlic press.
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Paprika – Sweet / regular paprika. Not smoky and not hot.
3. For the sandwich
You can either use rolls, or cut a long French stick into 22 cm / 9” lengths.
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Bread rolls – Use any white bread roll. Lightly toast them to make the crust crispy — but not too crisp.
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Tomatoes and lettuce – The classic vegetables for Shrimp Po’ Boys. Use iceberg or cos/romaine lettuce.
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Pickles – Finely sliced, ideally on the diagonal to make the slices larger.
How to make Shrimp Po’ Boys
The shrimp is shallow fried rather than deep fried, which means less oil and less mess — making this more approachable than most fried seafood recipes. Mix the remoulade sauce first so the flavours have time to come together, then coat and fry the shrimp in batches, toast the rolls, and assemble with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a generous spread of remoulade. Serve immediately so the shrimp stays crispy inside the roll.
