The spicy grilled shrimp sandwich finally comes together!
It’s my adaptation of a New Orleans shrimp po’boy.
I always loved a great sandwich, but I never thought I could prepare a good one myself. After all, I had grown up on basic homemade cheese and ham and cheese sandwiches.
To date, I still haven’t mastered the art of making a grilled cheese sandwich. When I crave one, I simply drive to a cousin’s house and have them feed me breakfast.
I am not joking. I actually do that.
Yet, last year, as you all know, I entered myself in the sandwich category of that major food competition alongside real chefs! It is that competition that gives me the confidence to share this grilled shrimp sandwich recipe with you today.
Yes, after telling you how I cannot master the art of a grilled cheese, I am serving you my very own spicy grilled shrimp sandwich recipe.
But worry not; it is the same one I served at the World Food Championships last November. It’s a sandwich I practiced for three months on a weekly basis; one that many people have tasted before. I promise it comes with a seal of approval from a crowd of hungry family members and friends.
If you’re still in doubt, I invite you to first go try my cast-iron grilled shrimp recipe. Make sure to generously coat those shrimps with my spicy orange rum glaze. And then come back to this post.
Why am I asking that you make that detour?
I promise, it’s not just to improve my web traffic. Those two recipes are actually the key components of my sandwich.
Indeed, my sandwich requires that you stuff a French baguette with the grilled shrimp. Please note that po’boy bread, a variation of a French bread, makes for an authentic New Orleans po’boy. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where that they bake that type of bread, you should definitely use it instead. I only use French baguette because that’s what is available in our Haitian bakeries.
As for the rum glaze, it pretty much ties the whole sandwich together. It coats the spicy grilled shrimp, and the caramelized bacon – yes, my sandwich includes a layer of crispy sweet and spicy bacon! The glaze is also drizzled on top of the sandwich alongside a homemade spicy mayo for which I share a recipe below.
Not a fan of mayo? You can always substitute it with a well-seasoned guacamole.
There’s one last key ingredient to include before drizzling glaze and creamy sauces atop our sandwich.
As they say in New Orleans, we must ‘dress’ our sandwich. We won’t be adding lettuce, but we will be stuffing it with some fried green tomatoes for an extra touch of crispiness.
Once you layer all those, you will be ready to savor my very first successful spicy grilled shrimp sandwich, a sandwich that is packed with a lot of flavors and crunchiness.
The recipe below contains affiliate links. This means that I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Spicy grilled shrimp sandwich with caramelized bacon and rum glaze
Ingredients
- 1 French baguette (or po'boy bread)
For the spicy grilled shrimp
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 4 mashed garlic cloves
- 1 lime zest
- 1 or 2 tbsp dark Haitian rum
For the spicy orange rum glaze
- 1/2 cup dark Haitian rum
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 juice of one lime
- 1 lime zest
- 1 piment bouc cut into pieces
- 1 mashed garlic clove
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
For the caramelized bacon
- 1 pack of bacon
- prepared orange rum glaze
For the spicy mayo
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp cream
- 2 mashed garlic cloves
- 1 juice of one lime
- 1/2 piment bouc cut into pieces
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp dark Haitian rum
For the guacamole (optional, substitute for the spicy mayo)
- 1 medium sized avocado
- 2 mashed garlic cloves
- 1 juice of one lime
- 1/2 piment bouc cut into pieces
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the fried green tomatoes
- 2 or 3 green tomatoes
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 splash of cream
- 1 cup of breadcrumbs
- oil (for frying)
Instructions
For the spicy grilled shrimp
- Season the shrimp with the salt, thyme, pepper, garlic, lime zest, piment bouc and rum
- Let marinate for about five minutes
- Grill on a cast iron
For the spicy orange rum glaze
- In a pot, mix the cornstarch, sugar, pepper, garlic, and salt
- Slowly stir in the orange juice and rum
- Bring to a boil
- Add the lime juice, piment bouc and zest, and cook until the sauce thickens up
For the caramelized bacon
- Spread each bacon slice onto a bacon sheet
- Coat each slice with the prepared orange rum glaze
- Bake in the oven at about 350F, turning once, until dark golden brown. Make sure to check on the bacon a few times so it doesn't burn
- Put on an absorbing paper towel to drain the excess oil
For the spicy mayo
- Mix all the ingredients until well blended
For the spicy guacamole
- Mash the avocado
- Incorporate all the ingredients
- Mix well until the mixture is smooth
For the fried green tomatoes
- Cut the tomatoes into thin slices
- Beat the eggs
- In a separate bowl mix the cream and seasonings
- Dip each slice into the eggs, the cream mixture, and the breadcrumbs
- Repeat the process twice for a thick crust
- Fry in hot oil
Putting the sandwich together
- Cut your baguette
- Coat the shrimp with some of the rum glaze
- Spread the spicy mayo or guacamole on each side of the bread
- Stuff with the shrimp and bacon
- Add the green tomatoes on one side
- Drizzle with some more orange glaze and spicy mayo
- Enjoy
3 Comments
Succulent!!!
🙂
Now that the recipe is complete, give it a try! It’s delicious!!!
Allez-y, a vos fourneaux, il est succulent!