Shrimp Po Boys with French Fries

New Orleans is one of our favorite cities in America. Frankly, its only rival is Boston in history and culture. The fruits of that conglomeration are, thankfully, passed to the patrons of the French Quarter. While no homemade concoction can do true justice to a shrimp po' boy from Mother's or a roast beef po' boy from Napoleon House (ironically a house that its namesake never visited), this recipe comes awful close. Po' boys in the French Quarter are served with creole and regular mustard as well as mayo and shredded cabbage. But the beauty of the sandwich is that there are no rules. Add, subtract, or substitute anything you want to your taste. In this version, the remoulade and pickles beautifully mixes with the cornmeal breaded shrimp to create a surprisingly light and wanting-for-not bite that you can't find north of Baton Rouge. 

For the Fried Shrimp:

• 1 lb. shrimp, 15-20s peeled and deveined, tails removed

• 1 can of beer

• 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

• 3/4 c. fine ground cornmeal

• 1 tbs. garlic powder

• 1 tbs. onion powder

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Canola oil, for frying

Remoulade:

• 1 1/2 c. mayo

• 1/4 c. dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. dill pickle juice
• 1 tsp. tabasco sauce
• 1 tbs. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. cajun spice

• 1 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)

To Make the Sandwiches:

• 4 sandwich rolls, french bread style

• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/4-1/2 head of iceberg lettuce or green cabbage, shredded
• Dill Pickles (about 3 per sandwich)

• tabasco, to taste

Make remoulade by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in the fridge for as long as you can (overnight is best but can be done an hour in advance)

Fill a large pot or dutch oven with 1 quart of oil and heat to 350 degrees. Rinse and pat shrimp dry. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl combine beer through baking soda to make a batter. Shred lettuce/cabbage and thinly slice tomato, set aside. When oil has reached desired temperature, coat shrimp in batter and place in the hot oil. Fry shrimp being careful to move shrimp around to keep from sticking to each other. Once shrimp are a nice golden brown, remove from oil and place on a paper plate lined with paper towels. Season immediately with salt and pepper.

Assemble sandwiches by slathering a generous amount of remoulade on one side of the bun, followed by shredded lettuce/cabbage, tomato, pickles, then shrimp. Press sandwiches down and serve immediately.

French Fries

Ingredients

4 (4 to 5-inches long) russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

1-2 gallons water

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 quarts canola oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

Peel potatoes on the sides, leaving the ends with the skin on. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch slices and then slice into 1/3-inch sticks.

Fill a large bowl with water and vinegar. Soak potatoes, submerged, for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. This will help remove the excess starch from the potatoes and keep them from oxidizing.

Heat a heavy stock pot or dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer with oil to 325 degrees.

Remove potatoes from the water, and pat dry to remove excess water. Add 2 handfuls of potatoes to hot oil. There should be at least 1-inch of oil above the potatoes. Par cook until potatoes are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove potatoes, gently shaking off excess oil and let drain on rack with paper towels. Repeat until all of the potatoes are par cooked.

Raise heat of oil to 350 degrees F.

Cook potatoes again, 2 handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, place on paper towels and season lightly with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked and seasoned.