Fried Shrimp-and-Okra Po'Boys

Name: Fried Shrimp-and-Okra Po'Boys
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup mayonnaise (such as Duke's); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives; 2 tablespoons Creole mustard; 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; 2 teaspoons chopped drained capers; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 8 ounces small fresh okra pods, trimmed; 1 cup whole buttermilk; 1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal; 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's); Canola oil; 3/4 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20 shrimp); 2 (12-inch) po'boy rolls or French bread rolls, split, toasted, and cut in half crosswise; 8 (1/8-inch-thick) tomato slices (from 1 medium tomato); 2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce (from 1 head)

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We combined two of Louisiana's favorite ingredients—shrimp and okra—into one incredible po'boy sandwich. Recipe developer Ann Taylor-Pittman came up with a genius way to make fried okra perfect for a po'boy sandwich. She smashes and flattens the okra pods with a meat mallet or rolling pin, which creates more surface area for breading and makes them more tender and easier to fit into a roll, once they've been fried. You'll love the crunchy fried shrimp and okra as much as the tangy sauce, which is made with a few simple pantry ingredients like Creole mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

By Ann Taylor Pittman

Published on July 7, 2020

Fried Shrimp-and-Okra Po’Boys — Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Yield:

4 serves

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise (such as Duke's)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped drained capers
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces small fresh okra pods, trimmed
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)
Canola oil
3/4 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)
2 (12-inch) po'boy rolls or French bread rolls, split, toasted, and cut in half crosswise
8 (1/8-inch-thick) tomato slices (from 1 medium tomato)
2 cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce (from 1 head)

Directions

Stir together mayonnaise, chives, mustard, lemon juice, capers, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl; set aside.
Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to smash okra, starting at tip of pod and working toward stem end. Place buttermilk in a shallow dish. Stir together cornmeal and Creole seasoning in another shallow dish. Dip okra in buttermilk. Lift out with a slotted spoon; dredge in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. (Reserve remaining buttermilk and cornmeal mixture.)
Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large cast-iron skillet. Heat oil over high to 350°F to 375°F. Fry okra in 2 batches in hot oil until crisp and browned, about 3 minutes per batch, turning once. Remove okra with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.
Dip shrimp in buttermilk. Lift out with a slotted spoon, and dredge in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Fry shrimp in 2 batches in hot oil until crisp and browned, about 3 minutes, turning once. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.
Spread about half of sauce evenly over bottoms of toasted rolls. Layer evenly with tomato slices, shrimp, okra, lettuce, and remaining sauce. Cover with tops of rolls.