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Po'boy: Recipe Makeover

July 01, 2012
Photo: Randy Mayor
We keep the bon temps rolling with crispy shrimp, spicy slaw, and 1,400 fewer calories. By Sidney Fry, MS, RD
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Project Po'boy

Photo: Randy Mayor
New Orleans turns out one of the world's most exuberant sandwiches and calls it a poor boy: always joking down there, always delicious. An arm's length of crusty French bread piled high with Cajun-battered fried shrimp, lettuce, mayo, and salty pickles can, however, add up to your day's worth of calories and fat, along with today's and tomorrow's salt.

Delightfully crunchy and deliciously messy, this lighter po'boy delivers classic satisfaction. Food is sacred in New Orleans, but this is not heresy; it's a loving, lighter homage. We'll show you how we did it.

Classic
• 1,796 calories per sandwich
• 64 grams total fat
• 4,705 milligrams sodium

Makeover
• 400 calories per sandwich
• 10.4 grams total fat
• 736 milligrams sodium

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Po'boy Pointer #1: 2-1/2–Ounce Portion vs. 12–Inch Loaf

Photo: Randy Mayor
We cut back on the bread by two-thirds, saving 550 calories and more than 1,000mg sodium per sandwich. The loaves are hollowed out and the insides ground to coat our crispy shrimp.

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Po'boy Pointer #2: Pan-Seared vs. Deep-Fried

Photo: Randy Mayor
The shrimp is marinated, breaded, and then seared in a hot, lightly oiled pan to save 300 calories and 34g of fat per sandwich over the deep-fried version.
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Po'boy Pointer #3: Spicy Slaw vs. Cajun Seasoning

Photo: Randy Mayor
We skip the salty Cajun seasonings and heavy fixin's and add zest, flavor, and kick with a spicy rémoulade slaw, saving 100 calories and 1,250mg of sodium per sandwich.

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Shrimp Po'boys

Photo: Randy Mayor
Crusty, well-toasted bread; crispy pan-seared shrimp; and crunchy slaw make this sandwich worth every bite.

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