Fried Shrimp Po'boy

The Po'boy is the quintessential Louisiana fare. While New Orleans boasts a myriad of restaurants serving comfort food and Creole cuisine, the Po'boy is a stalwart participant in the local fare. It's a humble sandwich that relies on excellent fillings made with love.

On our trip through the U.S.A, New Orleans offered us nothing but excellent food. The food culture is something that uplifts the city, some people would go for the booze and the ghost tours. But many would stay for the food and the friendly hospitality.

So we're home now and we miss that feeling. We want it back. So there's only one way to do it- make our own Po'Boys!

You will need... Serves 4
Seasoning...
1 tsp course salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning (if not, use some celery salt instead)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1kg peeled and deveined green banana prawns (2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup cornmeal*
Vegetable oil for frying
1 long french baguette
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
mayonnaise (we used spicy aioli), or remoulade sauce**


Method...
1. Combine the seasonings together in a bowl and coat the prawns.
2. Pour the buttermilk into a separate bowl.
3. Whisk the flour and cornmeal together in another bowl.

4. Place between 500ml and 1Lt of oil in a heavy based saucepan or wok, you just want to be able to submerge the prawns while cooking them. Heat on low-medium. Prepare a plate with some absorbent paper towel to drain the prawns, and a slotted spoon.
5. Working in small batches, coat the prawns first in the buttermilk, shake off excess then place in the cornmeal mixture and coat well. Shake off excess again and carefully place directly in the heated oil.

6. The prawns should sizzle, and brown slowly. Flip them after 1-2 minutes to ensure even cooking, then cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove and strain on paper towel. They should be golden. Repeat with the remaining prawns.

7. Cut the baguette into 4 even lengths then split down the side, butter if desired. Layer with a handful of lettuce and then the cooked prawns. Drizzle with desired sauce, place the top on and serve immediately.


*cornmeal is hard to come by in Australian grocery stores so try to find some fine ground polenta instead, the texture is a bit crunchier but thats not necessarily a bad thing
** The traditional Remoulade is French in origin and is a mayonnaise base with celery and other spices. But in New Orleans, it is more of a red sauce with Paprika, Tabasco, horseradish and Worcestershire.