Shrimp Po’ Boys

There have been a few times in the past couple of months where I considered canceling all of my food magazine subscriptions.  The guilt I feel about these food magazines is sometimes enough to make me not want to renew each year.  They sit in a neat stack on the shelf of my coffee table, oftentimes untouched for months, even if never opened for the first time.  I wouldn’t say that I have an unhealthy relationship with these magazines but it could be a more mutually satisfying relationship…and by that I mean that I’m really the one who should be getting more than nothing out of magazines that sit untouched and unread.

So last week when I finally flipped through one of Bon Appétit’s early summer issues (yes, for the first time), I was stopped dead in my tracks by a photo of a sandwich.  I turned around to my menu for the upcoming week, added it to the list, and then obsessed about this sandwich for the next 3 days.  Now, I’m not one to eat-then-immediately-blog what I make but I couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you, even if I only made it last night.  These shrimp po’ boys were amazing beyond my expectations.  Paired with a homemade rémoulade sauce (made with homemade pickles, I might add) and coated in a spicy Cajun dry rub, the shrimp truly shine in this sandwich.  The sandwich as a whole is full of heat, though not an overwhelming amount for a light-weight like me, and is perfectly well-balanced by the rémoulade and cool tomato, lettuce, and a couple of pickle spears on the side.  The original recipe called for batter-dipped fried shrimp and while that sounded awesome, we overindulged a little this Labor Day weekend so I lightened up the shrimp by sautéeing them instead – my changes are below.  We were both sad to see the last bites finished up but we’re already planning who we can make them for in the next few weeks – they must go on the menu again soon!  And even though it took me until August to get to June’s issue, I couldn’t be happier with this recipe…maybe I’ll reconsider my impulse to not renew this year since my faith has been furtively renewed.

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Shrimp Po’ Boys
source: adapted from Bon Appétit, June 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to your tastes)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 4 8″-long French (or Hoagie/sub/grinder) rolls, split horizontally
• Rémoulade sauce or mayonnaise
• Shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, dill pickles, hot pepper sauce (optional), preferably Crystal

Instructions:

1. In a shallow pie plate or dish, whisk together the first 8 ingredients.  Add the shrimp and coat all of the shrimp with the spice mix.
2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
3. To assemble the sandwiches, spread a layer of the rémoulade sauce or mayonnaise on the bottom of each roll, top with hot shrimp, then lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and a sprinkle of hot pepper sauce, if using.

Serves 4.

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