I guess you could say I’m a bit obsessed with po-boys lately. In the weeks leading up to the po-boy festival here in New Orleans, I visited a couple of my favorite po-boy spots to reminisce, to remember how good the basics can be. I had fried shrimp at Parkway Bakery and Tavern, and shrimp and oyster at Crabby Jack’s, and then those wonderful little odd po-boys at the fest. I thought I’d had my fill for a while, until Paul told me he’d overhead someone talking about a blackened shrimp po-boy. My interest was piqued. Then, he said, “It’d be good with a little bacon sprinkled on it.” Yes, it would. Then, “And maybe some goat cheese?” I almost fainted. Yes, blackened shrimp with bacon and goat cheese would be good – very, very good. If it sounds bizarre or even blasphemous to load a seafood po-boy down with extras like bacon and cheese, consider the Peacemaker, that ultra-delicious po-boy of fried oysters, bacon, and American cheese. Sounds crazy, but it’s fantastic. If yellow, processed American cheese can’t hurt a po-boy, then surely goat cheese couldn’t.
We thought for a minute about making a fancy mayonnaise to go with this, but ended up sticking with plain mayo. And you know, that was a good move, because the spicy blackening mix rubs off the shrimp as you scrunch it together for eating purposes, forming a little mayo-blackening mixture sauce. And the goat cheese will melt a little bit of itself into that sauce too, and then you get something that the po-boy gods would be proud of. About the cabbage: it’s hardier and more assertive than lettuce or soft greens, with a flavor that can stand up to and support all of this spicy-salty goodness; plus its crunch actually holds up to all the smooshing and chomping that happens in the process of eating a po-boy like this. I love it.
“Blackening” is a spice-and-sear technique made popular in the early 1980s by New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme, who blackened so many redfish fillets that they nearly became extinct. These days, you can find all sorts of blackened proteins on New Orleans menus, from seafood to steaks. It’s essential to use a cast-iron skillet to get anything blackened–the burned-on bits are where the “black” comes from, after all. If you don’t have one, use a skillet without a nonstick coating, so you can get some brownish burned bits that will hopefully stick on your shrimp. This blackening mixture comes from the marvelous website, chilicheesefries.net. 
Blackened Shrimp and Bacon Po-Boy
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Description
Spicy shrimp, smoky bacon, and creamy goat cheese, all smashed together in one heavenly sandwich.
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon (preferably uncured)
- 1 lb (450 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- blackening mix (recipe follows)
- 3 thick slices of ripe tomato, cut in half
- 1 cup (70 g) thinly shredded green cabbage
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 6"-long pieces of baguette or soft-style French bread, split in half
- 1/2 cup (75 g) crumbled goat cheese
blackening mix
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (red) pepper
Instructions
- Heat a medium (9″) cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the bacon slices. Cook bacon, turning occasionally, until dark and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes; drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
- While the bacon is cooking, prepare the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and coat them generously with the blackening mix.
- Once the bacon is done, remove it from the skillet and set aside. Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until the shrimp are opaque and the spices have formed a dark crust.
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Spread mayonnaise on the inside of each hoagie roll or French bread slice.
- Layer the cooked shrimp, bacon, tomato slices, shredded cabbage, and crumbled goat cheese inside each roll.
- Press the sandwich together gently, allowing the goat cheese to melt slightly and mix with the mayo and blackening spices.
- Serve immediately and enjoy your blackened shrimp and bacon po-boy.
Notes
- Use a cast-iron skillet for the best blackening results.
- Cabbage is preferred over lettuce for its crunch and ability to hold up to the sandwich’s ingredients.
- The goat cheese will melt slightly, enhancing the flavor of the sandwich.
- Store any leftover blackening mix in an airtight container for future use.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Category: Sandwich
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 24
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 180
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Slow Cooker Shrimp Tikka Masala
- Crispy Shrimp Tacos With Peach Salsa
- Warm Asparagus Salad with Bacon, Egg, and Hazelnuts
- Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does blackening require a cast-iron skillet?
The article explains that the dark, charred crust — the “black” in blackened — comes from spices burning onto the pan at very high heat. Cast iron retains and distributes that heat evenly, and the burned-on bits transfer to the shrimp. A nonstick pan won’t get hot enough and won’t develop the crust; if you don’t have cast iron, the article suggests a regular skillet without a nonstick coating.
Why use shredded cabbage instead of lettuce on this po-boy?
The author specifically chose cabbage because it’s hardier and more assertive than soft greens, its flavor can stand up to the spicy blackening mix and goat cheese, and — critically — its crunch holds up to the smooshing and chomping that comes with eating a loaded po-boy. Lettuce would wilt immediately under the hot shrimp and bacon.
What role does the goat cheese play in this sandwich?
The goat cheese melts slightly into the mayo and the spices rubbed from the blackened shrimp, forming a creamy, tangy sauce inside the sandwich. The article describes this as something the po-boy gods would be proud of — the tang of the cheese binds all the spicy-salty flavors together.
I was in New Orleans earlier this year for the first time and totally fell in love with fried shrimp po’ boys and blackened catfish. This is the best of both worlds + goat cheese. Genius!