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Cajun Boy Poboy Recipe

Name: Leonard's Food Quarters Cajun Boy Poboy Recipe
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients: 2 each French rolls (6–8" long), slightly crusty; 2 tbs Unsalted butter, softened; 1 cups Mayonnaise; 8 slices Pickles, thinly sliced (dill); 1 cups Shredded iceberg lettuce; 1 each Tomato, ripe, thinly sliced; 0 to taste Hot sauce (optional), to taste; 24 each Large shrimp (16–20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on or off as preferred; 1 cups Buttermilk; 1 tsp Hot sauce (for marinade); 1.5 cups All-purpose flour; 0.25 cups Cornstarch; 2 tbs Cajun seasoning; 1 tsp Paprika (sweet or smoked); 1 tsp Garlic powder; 0.5 tsp Onion powder; 1 tsp Kosher salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground; 4 cups Vegetable oil (for frying); 0.5 cups Mayonnaise; 1 tsp Creole or Dijon mustard; 0.5 tsp Prepared horseradish; 1 tbs Lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 0.5 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning; 0.25 tsp Smoked paprika; 0.5 tsp Garlic, minced; 0.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 0 to taste Hot sauce (optional); 0 to taste Salt and pepper

Inspired by Leonard's Food Quarters

Time50m

Serves2

Make Cajun Boy Poboy Recipe in just 50m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Rolls & Assembly

2 each French rolls (6–8" long), slightly crusty

2 tbs Unsalted butter, softened

1 cups Mayonnaise

8 slices Pickles, thinly sliced (dill)

1 cups Shredded iceberg lettuce

1 each Tomato, ripe, thinly sliced

0 to taste Hot sauce (optional), to taste

Fried Shrimp

24 each Large shrimp (16–20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on or off as preferred

1 cups Buttermilk

1 tsp Hot sauce (for marinade)

1 1/2 cups 00 bread flour

1/4 cups Cornstarch

2 tbs Cajun seasoning

1 tsp Paprika (sweet or smoked)

1 tsp Watkins garlic powder

1/2 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

4 cups Vegetable oil (for frying)

Cajun Remoulade (sandwich sauce)

1/2 cups Mayonnaise

1 tsp Creole or Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp Prepared horseradish

1 tbs Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning

1/4 tsp Smoked paprika

1/2 tsp Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Original Worcestershire Sauce

0 to taste Hot sauce (optional)

0 to taste Celtic salt and pepper

Method

Rolls & Assembly

Prepare rolls

Split the French rolls lengthwise without separating completely so they stay hinged. Lightly butter the cut sides with the softened butter. If you prefer, toast the buttered sides in a skillet over medium heat 1–2 minutes until lightly golden; set aside warm.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of the Cajun remoulade onto the bottom half of each roll (reserve remaining remoulade for serving). Layer pickles evenly across the bottom, then a bed of shredded lettuce and 3–4 tomato slices per sandwich. Keep warm while you fry and drain the shrimp.

If using hot sauce, drizzle lightly over assembled vegetables or add to the remoulade — to taste.

Fried Shrimp

Marinate shrimp

Place peeled and deveined shrimp in a bowl. Pour the buttermilk over the shrimp and add 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Stir gently to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 15–30 minutes. The buttermilk tenderizes and helps the flour adhere.

Make dredge

In a shallow bowl or tray, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, Cajun seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.

Heat oil

Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of about 1 to 1.5 inches. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F (175°C) on a thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, test with one small piece of shrimp: oil should bubble steadily around it.

Dredge and fry

Working in batches to avoid crowding, remove shrimp from buttermilk, letting excess drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing the flour onto the shrimp for a good coating. Shake off excess and carefully lower into hot oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes per batch until golden brown and just cooked through (shrimp will be opaque and firm). Maintain oil temperature around 325–350°F; adjust heat as needed.

Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer fried shrimp to a wire rack set over a baking sheet or paper towels to drain. Season lightly with a pinch of kosher salt immediately after frying. Keep shrimp warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) if making multiple batches.

For an extra-crispy finish, double-dip: after first fry, drain 1–2 minutes, then fry a second time at 375°F (190°C) for 30–45 seconds until extra-crisp. This step is optional.

Cajun Remoulade (sandwich sauce)

Make remoulade

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, Creole or Dijon mustard, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, minced garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with hot sauce, salt, and pepper as desired. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes to let flavors meld.

Reserve about 2 tablespoons per sandwich for spreading; keep remainder chilled for serving.

Assemble Sandwiches

Divide the fried shrimp evenly between the two prepared rolls (about 12 shrimp per sandwich). Pile shrimp to create height and crisp texture in each sandwich.

Close the sandwiches and, if desired, press gently, slice in half on the diagonal, and serve immediately with extra remoulade and hot sauce on the side.