Shrimp Po Boy.  Oh Boy!

The words ‘Fried Shrimp’ drifted through the office the other day.  I could hear the excitement build, as one by one people shared their love of fried shrimp.  Boy wouldn’t I love a nice big plate of succulent fried shrimp.  Better yet, wouldn’t I love a nice big Shrimp Po-Boy.

When a craving hits me it becomes very hard to ignore.  So on my way home I stopped off at the market for some fresh shrimp.  If I can make Oven ‘Fried’ Chicken surely I can make Oven ‘Fried’ Shrimp.

Following a similar method, I dipped the shrimp in egg whites, then dredged them in a spicy panko breadcrumb mixture.  I’ve found misting them with a spray olive oil vs. cooking spray helps give them a golden brown finish.  You need a little oil if you’re going to satisfy the infamous fried shrimp craving that swept my office that day.

We built our Po-Boy on a bakery roll with a bed of shredded lettuce, a spoonful of homemade coleslaw, a pile of our oven fried shrimp, and a drizzle of spicy sauce to finish.  Oh Boy!  What a fabulous treat you are Shrimp Po-Boy. 

It occurred to me that I had no idea where the name Po-Boy came from.  I knew New Orleans was famous for them but how did they get their name?  A quick Google search led me to this wonderful article on The History of the Po-Boy.  During the 1929 transit strike, as a show of support for their former union team members, Martin Brothers’ Coffee Stand in New Orleans offered free sandwiches to the ‘poor boys’ who had been without work for weeks.  This generosity led to the popularity of the sandwich then dubbed the Poor Boy.  I encourage you to read the entire article.  How wonderful to learn bits of our history through the love of food.

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Shrimp Po Boy. Oh Boy!

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the shrimp…

• 1/2 lb. medium shrimp peeled & deveined
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 cup egg whites

For the coleslaw…

• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 small grated carrot
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 2 Tbl. mayonnaise
• 1-2 tsp. rice vinegar
• pinch of sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

For spicy sauce…

• 2 Tbl. Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 2 Tbl. mayonnaise
• pinch cayenne pepper

To serve…

• 2 bakery hoagie rolls
• shredded lettuce
• fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a shallow baking sheet with spray olive oil.
• Combine panko, flour and Cajun seasoning in a flat dish. Dip shrimp into egg whites, then press into panko and arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Once all shrimp have been coated, lightly spray tops of shrimp with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn shrimp over and cook for another 5 minutes. Test for doneness. Shrimp should be crispy on the outside and opaque on the inside.
• While shrimp are baking combine the coleslaw and spicy sauce ingredients in two separate bowls.
• During the last few minutes of baking, add the hoagie rolls to the oven.
• To serve, put a layer of shredded lettuce in each roll, top with a spoonful of coleslaw, a generous pile of oven fried shrimp, a drizzle of spicy sauce and sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves.

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