Shrimp Po’ Boy- A Lighter Version

I was really craving a Po’ Boy the other day and I had a bunch of shrimp on hand so I decided to make a lighter version of this classic New Orleans sandwich (but not by much). Why would I even try to make a lighter version of a Po’ Boy you ask? Well, because I am lazy and didn’t feel like battering and frying shrimp (real life y’all) and I try to throw Greek yogurt into any sauce I can!

Now, I made our Po’ Boys all dressed, this just means that they had lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles on them. Traditionally Po’ Boys are made on fresh French Baguettes, I put ours on a plain ole sub roll, but any roll will work. The traditional sauce that goes on a Po’ Boy is called remoulade and made of mayo, pickles or capers, and mustard. A remoulade is very similar to a aioli or tartar sauce, but better in my opinion.

To lighten up the traditional remoulade sauce that goes on the Po’ Boy sandwich, I made it with half mayo and half Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds protein and cuts a good bit of the fat out. Also I didn’t batter and fry the shrimp, just sauteed them cutting out the additional carbs and fat. Spices are a great way to add tons of flavor without any added calories; in this recipe smoked paprika and creol seasoning are key spices that add mouth full of flavor. In my opinion this was better- juicier more tender shrimp.

Ingredients:

Remoulade Sauce:

• 3 Tbs. mayo
• 3 Tbs. plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. chopped capers
• 1 Tbs. whole grain mustard
• 4-5 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
• 3-4 dashes of hot sauce or more of you like it spicy
• 1 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1 tsp. of Cajun or Creole seasoning (I used Tony Catchere’s Creole)
• 2 tsp. of smoked paprika
• Black pepper to taste (about 4 turns of a pepper mill)

Po’ Boy:

• 4 rolls (8 inch Bollio or sub rolls work perfectly)
• Lettuce or shredded cabbage (optional)
• Fresh sliced tomatoes (optional)
• Sliced Pickles (optional)
• 1.5 pounds of 21-30 fresh peeled and de-veined shrimp (21-30 just means there are 21-30 shrimp per pound, this is a nice medium size shrimp)
  • Seafood Po’ Boys are also made with oysters, craw fish, catfish, or soft shell crab
• 2-3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbs smoked paprika
• 1-2 tsp of Cajun seasoning
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Squirt of lemon juice
• 1 Tbs of olive oil

Directions:

Sauce:

1. Finely mince the capers and then throw all the ingredients into a bowl and mix up.
2. Let sit in the refrigerator while you are cooking shrimp.

Shrimp:

1. Peel and de-vein the shrimp if it isn’t already.
2. Pat shrimp dry, put in a bowl and toss with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice.
3. Heat a pan to medium heat and add 1 Tbs. of olive oil.
4. Add shrimp in one layer, depending on the size of your pan, you may have to cook in batches.
5. Saute shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side until they are no longer opaque, take off heat as soon as they are done.
6. Pull some bread out of the middle to make room for shrimp and toast rolls lightly, this is optional.
7. Put Romulade sauce on the buns, then add lettuce, tomato, and pickle.
8. Pile high with the shrimp and drizzle with more Romulade sauce if you would like.

 

 

If you like Cajun food check out my Shrimp Creole Dip recipe.