The Best Bread To Use When Making A Classic Shrimp Po' Boy

Bread is the foundation of almost every sandwich. If you are eating pastrami on rye, you need to have rye bread. Or, if you want a classic grilled cheese sandwich, nothing says tradition like white bread. The same is true for a spicy po' boy shrimp sandwich. It needs a particular kind of bread to get the taste buds going, and according to Chef Michelle Wallace, founder of b'tween sandwich co., that bread is French bread that hails from New Orleans. Wallace exclusively told Daily Meal, "New Orleans French bread is the best! It has a crackly crust on the outside and a soft, pillowy interior. [It's] perfect for a fried shrimp po' boy."

New Orleans French bread is in a class all its own. Its appearance resembles the bread used for sub sandwiches, but this crusty bread with its crispy exterior is different. Its interior is light and tender, and when it is sliced open, it reveals a soft crumb that was born to absorb all the tastes a po' boy has to offer. This is its superpower.

If you are making a shrimp po' boy or any po' boy, you know the integrity of the bread is critical for this hearty but portable meal. New Orleans French bread is a bread that can withstand drippy, saucy ingredients, as well as rich, meaty, and greasy fillings; yet, at the same time, it doesn't buckle when you sink your teeth into it. This is important when you consider a po' boy shrimp sandwich, which generally consists of a blanket of shrimp dipped in a cornmeal Cajun seasoned batter and fried. The bread serves as a resting place for this seafood, as well as the layers of toppings and condiments, including lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a remoulade sauce.

But if you are wondering if you should toast this po' boy bread before piling on the shrimp, you might be surprised by Michelle Wallace's answer. She owns the fact that it might cause a bit of a food fight, stating, "I know this may cause a ruckus, but the bread for a po' boy should not be toasted! Warmed ... but not toasted." Wallace goes on to explain that if you do toast it, you are ruining the texture that makes it so perfect.

Toasting this bread means it will be more difficult for it to soak up all those lovely juices and spreads. Michelle Wallace further explained, "When you toast the inside of the bread, you develop a delicious toast, but it impedes on the overall construction of the sandwich. When the bread is untoasted, you have a beautiful soft and fluffy 'bed' for the ingredients to sink into. Don't worry: The outside crust of the bread will provide a great structure and foundation for the sandwich."

If you are making the ultimate po' boy at home and do not have access to New Orleans French bread, there are a few options you can use in its place. A French baguette is probably your best option, followed by a hoagie roll. A baguette has that lovely chewy texture that makes for a delicious bite where it is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is perfect for soaking up flavors. A hoagie roll isn't quite as chewy, but it is firm enough to hold all the fillings of a po' boy shrimp sandwich.