Zesty Grilled Shrimp Po' Boy

Zesty Shrimp Po' Boy

I had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans back in December of 2009. It was a very memorable trip. My wife and I were able to see much of the city and eat at several of the famous and not so famous New Orleans restaurants.

Corner of Bourbon and Canal Streets in
New Orleans

Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA

While we were there the weather was cold and rainy. In fact, it was so rainy that there were several flood watches and fears that pumps throughout the city would fail. During much of our time there we couldn't walk outside without being literally soaked from head to toe.

A view from the Riverwalk in New Orleans

The food was good at some places and not so great at others. In fact, one of the most famous restaurants was quite a disappointment. The best places to eat, it seemed, were the smaller, lesser known restaurants found around the city.

One of the best known New Orleans foods is the Po' Boy sandwich. There are several accounts of how it was first introduced. There is the story of a restauranteur who fed transients outside his restaurant at night with sandwiches made of foods that were leftover from the day's cook. Then there is the story of how a former streetcar conductor turned restauranteur served his former colleagues free sandwiches during a strike against the streetcar company. And, there is also the story of one restauranteur who looked out of the window of his restaurant and saw a crowd of young men waiting in hope to be picked to work for the railroad that day. He remarked, "Look at all those po' boys!" He decided to create a large sandwich that would last a young man all day and sell it for just $.05 cents.

Regardless of how it came to be, the Po' Boy is a delicious addition to the culinary world. Here is my tribute to the New Orleans Po' Boy.

To make this zesty shrimp Po' Boy you will need:

1 French bread roll
Some fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 TBS Tomato Ketchup
1TBS Hot sauce (Louisiana style or Sriracha)
1 Tomato, sliced
Salt & Pepper, as preferred
Lettuce or mixed salad greens
1 Spanish onion, sliced
1 TBS Mayonnaise (optional)
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 Jalapeno pepper, sliced
2 Cloves chopped garlic
Juice of 1 Lime
Worcestershire sauce

1.) Mix together olive oil, chopped garlic, lime juice, jalapeno pepper slices, salt, and black pepper. Reserve a small amount for basting later. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag with shrimp. Seal, and marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

2.) Make the zesty sauce. Mix 2 TBS ketchup, 1 TBS hot sauce, and a splash Worcestershire (careful, a little goes a long way). Mix well.

3.) Preheat your grill for medium-low heat. Either use a grill basket or just thread the shrimp on skewers. Discard the marinade.

4.) Lightly oil the grill grate. Cook shrimp for about 3 to 5 minutes per side or until opaque. The time will depend on the size of the shrimp and the temp of your grill. Be careful that you don't overcook the shrimp as it will become tough and chewy. Baste the shrimp with the reserved marinade while it's grilling. Remove shrimp from the grill when done.

5.) Split the french roll and lightly toast it on the grill.

6.) Put some greens on the bottom of the bread (see pic above) and place shrimp on top. Put the sliced tomato and sliced onion on the other half of the french roll. Top with the zesty sauce. Add some mayo to the roll at this point too, if you prefer.

Serve and enjoy!