Nici Wickes: Shrimp and Oyster Po’ Boys (NZ-style) - Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

The famed New Orleans Po’ Boy is a sandwich to beat all sandwiches. It’s messy, generous, and utterly delicious: a baguette stuffed with lettuce and fried prawns (or “shrimp”) and oysters, and with plenty of punchy mayo.  

Makes 2-4  

Ingredients 

For the sauce, whisk the ingredients below until combined, taste and season to suit you.  

• ¼ cup mayo  
• 2 tbsps. thousand island dressing  
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)  
• 1 tsp smoked paprika  
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce  
• 1 tsp horseradish (optional)  
• Squeeze of lemon  

Get the below sorted before you start frying:  

• 1 long soft baguette or 2–3 smaller rolls, split lengthwise  
• Dressing as above for spreading  
• Shredded lettuce  
• Sliced tomatoes  
• Pickles, sliced  

Fried seafood:  

• 200g raw prawns, peeled and deveined  
• 6 fresh oysters, drained  
• ½ cup plain flour  
• ½ cup fine cornmeal  
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional but good)  
• ½ tsp each dried thyme & oregano  
• ½ tsp sea salt + pinch of pepper  
• Oil for frying (neutral oil like rice bran)  

Method 

1. Mix the flour, cornmeal, herbs and spices and salt in a shallow bowl.  
2. Pat the prawns and oysters dry – this helps them crisp beautifully. Toss them gently in the flour mixture until well coated.  
3. Heat about 1cm of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the prawns and oysters in batches so they don’t crowd the pan. They only need 1–2 minutes per side – you want golden, not tough. Drain.  
4. To make the po’ boys, split the baguette and butter generously with butter, mayo, or the sauce you’ve made. Add the lettuce, tomato, pickle and then pile in the prawns and oysters. Spoon over the spicy mayo and press the top on.  
5. Serve immediately — po’ boys wait for no one! 

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