From Miranda's Kitchen: Cajun Shrimp Po'boy

Cajun Shrimp Po'boy

serves about 4


Ingredients:
approximately 48 medium-sized, shelled, de-veined wild-caught shrimp (you want roughly 12 shrimp per person for 1 serving)
1 cup cornmeal (medium grind)
1 Tbs + 1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs + 1 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup mayo
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 lemon
2 egg whites
Iceberg lettuce, shredded
Soft long rolls
2-3 cups of canola oil for frying

Instructions:
Rinse shrimp and remove tail shells, drain and pat dry.

In a bowl, mix together cornmeal, half of the onion powder, half of the garlic powder, half of the cayenne, and half of the salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix the mayo with the remaining spices, the tomato paste and fresh-squeezed lemon juice (to taste). Adjust the sauce for spiciness, etc. according to taste.

Whisk the egg white in a third bowl and then pour over the shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Do your best to drain excess egg white from the shrimp.

Pour oil into a heavy, high-sided pot. Oil should come about 3 inches up the side. Heat to approximately 350 degrees. Test the hotness of the oil by tossing in a small shred of bread. Oil should bubble up around it immediately.

Toss the cornmeal mixture with the shrimp - coat the shrimp thoroughly.

Add shrimp to the oil in small batches. I have found that a Chinese net scoop works well for frying. It is essential that you not overload the oil with shrimp - you want them to cook very quickly so the shrimp stay fresh and crisp. Fry each batch of shrimp about 1-2 minutes until the cornmeal crust is golden brown. Remove each batch of shrimp from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, toast rolls in the oven.

To serve, pile shrimp into each roll, top with a generous serving of sauce and shredded lettuce.

Serve with: a good beer - either a lager or a Weisse beer would be great.

Bon Appetit!