The Art of Crafting a Po Boy: A Masterclass with Chef Adon Sanchez

The Po Boy, a classic sandwich originating from New Orleans, has long been a staple of the city's culinary scene. However, when done right, it can be a truly transcendent dining experience. For Chef Adon Sanchez, the key to creating an exceptional Po Boy lies in the quality and variety of its ingredients. Starting with the pepper from the Caribbean, he uses it as a seasoning to add depth and complexity to his dish. Next, he takes his brush and applies just enough fish sauce to marinate the shrimp, allowing them to absorb the savory flavors.

The onions, a crucial component of the Po Boy, are also seasoned with salt and pepper before being grilled over medium heat. Chef Sanchez emphasizes the importance of keeping the onions chunky, as they provide a beautiful texture contrast to the soft bread. The secret to achieving this lies in cooking the onions slowly, allowing them to develop a caramelized flavor that is simply irresistible. To add an extra layer of flavor, Chef Sanchez brushes the sweet roll with mayonnaise before grilling it, creating a crispy and aromatic crust.

As the shrimp cooks quickly over high heat, Chef Sanchez applies a light coating of mayonnaise to protect its delicate flavor and texture. He then adds a dash of fish sauce, mustard, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, which enhances the natural sweetness of the shrimp without overpowering it. The key to achieving this balance is to cook the shrimp just until they're pink and firm, as overcooking can result in a loss of flavor.

With the shrimp cooked to perfection, Chef Sanchez dresses his SLO with a mixture of papaya, carrot, onion, and cabbage, creating a colorful and crunchy texture that provides a delightful contrast to the soft bread. The dressing is applied lightly, allowing each component of the sandwich to shine through. To finish the dish, Chef Sanchez grills a fresh lime over high heat, which adds a burst of citrus flavor to the Po Boy.

As the final component, the build-out begins with a layer of fresh tomatoes from Greml Grove Farm in the Florida Keys. The sweetness of these tomatoes is perfectly balanced by the savory flavors of the shrimp and SLO, creating a harmonious union that elevates the dish to new heights. Next, Chef Sanchez adds generous portions of cooked shrimp, which are generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Finally, the Po Boy is topped with a delicate layer of key lime zest, which adds a burst of citrus flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. The finishing touch is to squeeze fresh lime juice over the top of the sandwich, allowing each component to shine through in perfect harmony. As the knife slices through the bread, the aroma of this beautiful Po Boy wafts up, inviting all who are fortunate enough to taste it to take a bite.

The key to creating an exceptional Po Boy lies not only in the quality and variety of its ingredients but also in the care and attention that Chef Adon Sanchez brings to every component. By taking the time to marinate the shrimp, grill the onions, and dress the SLO, he creates a dish that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. The result is a Po Boy that is at once familiar and innovative, comforting and exciting – a true masterpiece of culinary art.

As Chef Sanchez takes a step back to admire his handiwork, it's clear that this Po Boy has been crafted with love and care. Each component has been carefully selected and prepared to create a dish that is not only delicious but also visually stunning. The presentation of the sandwich is impeccable, with each ingredient carefully arranged to showcase its beauty. Whether you're a seasoned foodie or just looking for a new culinary adventure, this Po Boy is sure to impress.

The final shot of the Po Boy is a testament to Chef Adon Sanchez's skill and dedication to his craft. As the knife slices through the bread, the aroma of this beautiful sandwich wafts up, inviting all who are fortunate enough to taste it to take a bite. With its perfectly balanced flavors and textures, this Po Boy is sure to become a new favorite among those lucky enough to try it.

In the end, the art of crafting a Po Boy like Chef Adon Sanchez's is not just about combining ingredients, but about understanding their personalities and how they come together in harmony. It's about taking the time to prepare each component with care and attention, and trusting that the result will be something truly special. For those who are willing to take the time to learn the art of making a great Po Boy, the rewards are well worth it – a dish that is not only delicious but also memorable and life-changing.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enand take one of those oneing H kid oh my God oh my God Justina thanks will wow what a week um Florida Keys now I truly understand what an amazing place and the plethora of ingredients is some of the best I've ever experienced in the world this is about a PoBoy I know it originated out in Orleans I know Aron Sanchez is going to get excited that it didn't come from Florida Keys but there is a version I'm going to tell you I promise you there's a version that originates from the Florida Keys that literally is as good as the one from newans this is done with a pink shrimp look at these things they are so beautiful is equivalent to a longer scene from the sort of west coast of Scotland they're sweet they're subtle and they cook within minutes so the po boy I'm going to start with grilling the bread I've got some onions and then going to make a bit of a SLO a fresh law and get this thing going I'm not a big fan of frying the shrimp and I think it's a bit of a waste sometimes when you sort of bread it fry it yes it gets crispy the texture is there but I'm going to grill it that's where the flavor is but first I've got these beautiful little key limes okay I'm just going to hit the limes over those beautiful shrimp and just let them sit there and marinate little touch of oil little touch of salt and just a little hint of pepper from there I'm going to take my brush and just get a little brush fish sauce just marinate it okay I want a different flare a different flavor profile onions will make up that beautiful PoBoy I want them grilled the secret here is keeping them nice and chunky as you can see I'm up to my knees in water it's been an extraordinary cook and more importantly the ingredients I promise you are second to n Season the onions really important get them onto the grill start grilling those onions beautiful here we go there you go now with the bread this is a soft sweet roll okay I like to brush the roll with mayonnaise it caramelizes on that Grill and like I said this isn't just any old PoBoy I'm want to get away from that fried greasiness that sometimes comes when you fry the shrimp and I want you to taste the shrimp okay so salt pepper onto that bread okay and then grill that bread Grill it beautifully get that on there push that down now the onions they take longer to cook than the shrimp okay keep them whole I'm going to hit those onions with a little touch of rum this is no ordinary rum this rum is salted in barrels about 10 miles from the keys here it is so beautiful the flavor is incredible caramelize those onions Flume those beautiful onions the saltiness of that rum the caramelization on the grill just lifts this po boy like no tomorrow right let's check in with that bread have a look at this hopefully the mayonnaise has done its trick yes yes look at that oh that's my base right there the mayonnaise has sort of put this nice lovely texture on there it's crispy and it just sets it up for the beginning of something magical couple of limes just to finish the actual PoBoy and all I do here now is just Grill these and get that flavor on there slide that along onions doing nicely and now for the shrimp got to be quick with these shrimp I don't want them to be overcooked get the plate on and cook them quickly look at that they're getting firm M and this gives it way more flavor than it does if you were frying them and this way we get to enjoy this PoBoy and identify the flavor of those incredible pink shrimp now while the shimer grilling a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise in 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise from the a little touch of fish sauce a tablespoon of mustard dejon mustard give it some spice and then give that a nice little M now get your key lime zest in what I want to do is protect the flavor of those amazing pink shrimp 90 seconds on the grill for the shrimp fresh key lime squeeze that in there and with a fish sauce oh my goodness me m that beautiful now I'm going to dress my SLO I've got papaya carrot onion and cabbage here this beautiful SLO so I want that really nice sort of crunch texture and the local papayas here are just amazing don't drown the SLO with the dressing dress it light enough where you can identify all those lovely colors touch the salt and again just another squeeze of Key Lime now look the shrimp I want to get the key lime from here I want to squeeze that over the shrimp before they come off okay I've grilled the lime the flavor grilled key lime is way better than raw and look squeeze that fresh lime and these key limes are bursting with FL flavor really bursting with flavor squeeze that over beautiful now off shrimp are nicely cooked my onions are beautifully grilled beautiful okay that's the beauty of taking advantage of a Hot Grill here everything's done purely for Flavor now the most exciting part we're going to start building this sandwich let's have a look inside one of those uh shrimp beautiful really beautiful oh my God now for the buildout fresh tomatoes on First and these are tomatoes from greml Grove this beautiful Farm down here in the Florida Keys lightly seasoned next I like my onions on top of the tomatoes open them up and now these incredible shrimp get generous with these shrimp don't hide them get them on there line them up they look incredible before we close that up just a fresh squeeze of that incredible lime again and now the SLO the SLO is what makes this just lay that on top of those beautiful pink shrimp and then finally just before we close that up get your lime and just grate that key lime zest over that sandwich the flavor of these key limes are second to none they are Majestic and then finally cap it off and look just squeeze that juice over there oh my goodness and then close that baby up on she goes push that down nice and firm and slice the beautiful po boy down let the knife do the work oh my goodness me a delicious incredible fresh PoBoy sandwich from the middle of the Florida Keys Adon Sanchez eat your heart out that's what I call a PoBoyand take one of those oneing H kid oh my God oh my God Justina thanks will wow what a week um Florida Keys now I truly understand what an amazing place and the plethora of ingredients is some of the best I've ever experienced in the world this is about a PoBoy I know it originated out in Orleans I know Aron Sanchez is going to get excited that it didn't come from Florida Keys but there is a version I'm going to tell you I promise you there's a version that originates from the Florida Keys that literally is as good as the one from newans this is done with a pink shrimp look at these things they are so beautiful is equivalent to a longer scene from the sort of west coast of Scotland they're sweet they're subtle and they cook within minutes so the po boy I'm going to start with grilling the bread I've got some onions and then going to make a bit of a SLO a fresh law and get this thing going I'm not a big fan of frying the shrimp and I think it's a bit of a waste sometimes when you sort of bread it fry it yes it gets crispy the texture is there but I'm going to grill it that's where the flavor is but first I've got these beautiful little key limes okay I'm just going to hit the limes over those beautiful shrimp and just let them sit there and marinate little touch of oil little touch of salt and just a little hint of pepper from there I'm going to take my brush and just get a little brush fish sauce just marinate it okay I want a different flare a different flavor profile onions will make up that beautiful PoBoy I want them grilled the secret here is keeping them nice and chunky as you can see I'm up to my knees in water it's been an extraordinary cook and more importantly the ingredients I promise you are second to n Season the onions really important get them onto the grill start grilling those onions beautiful here we go there you go now with the bread this is a soft sweet roll okay I like to brush the roll with mayonnaise it caramelizes on that Grill and like I said this isn't just any old PoBoy I'm want to get away from that fried greasiness that sometimes comes when you fry the shrimp and I want you to taste the shrimp okay so salt pepper onto that bread okay and then grill that bread Grill it beautifully get that on there push that down now the onions they take longer to cook than the shrimp okay keep them whole I'm going to hit those onions with a little touch of rum this is no ordinary rum this rum is salted in barrels about 10 miles from the keys here it is so beautiful the flavor is incredible caramelize those onions Flume those beautiful onions the saltiness of that rum the caramelization on the grill just lifts this po boy like no tomorrow right let's check in with that bread have a look at this hopefully the mayonnaise has done its trick yes yes look at that oh that's my base right there the mayonnaise has sort of put this nice lovely texture on there it's crispy and it just sets it up for the beginning of something magical couple of limes just to finish the actual PoBoy and all I do here now is just Grill these and get that flavor on there slide that along onions doing nicely and now for the shrimp got to be quick with these shrimp I don't want them to be overcooked get the plate on and cook them quickly look at that they're getting firm M and this gives it way more flavor than it does if you were frying them and this way we get to enjoy this PoBoy and identify the flavor of those incredible pink shrimp now while the shimer grilling a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise in 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise from the a little touch of fish sauce a tablespoon of mustard dejon mustard give it some spice and then give that a nice little M now get your key lime zest in what I want to do is protect the flavor of those amazing pink shrimp 90 seconds on the grill for the shrimp fresh key lime squeeze that in there and with a fish sauce oh my goodness me m that beautiful now I'm going to dress my SLO I've got papaya carrot onion and cabbage here this beautiful SLO so I want that really nice sort of crunch texture and the local papayas here are just amazing don't drown the SLO with the dressing dress it light enough where you can identify all those lovely colors touch the salt and again just another squeeze of Key Lime now look the shrimp I want to get the key lime from here I want to squeeze that over the shrimp before they come off okay I've grilled the lime the flavor grilled key lime is way better than raw and look squeeze that fresh lime and these key limes are bursting with FL flavor really bursting with flavor squeeze that over beautiful now off shrimp are nicely cooked my onions are beautifully grilled beautiful okay that's the beauty of taking advantage of a Hot Grill here everything's done purely for Flavor now the most exciting part we're going to start building this sandwich let's have a look inside one of those uh shrimp beautiful really beautiful oh my God now for the buildout fresh tomatoes on First and these are tomatoes from greml Grove this beautiful Farm down here in the Florida Keys lightly seasoned next I like my onions on top of the tomatoes open them up and now these incredible shrimp get generous with these shrimp don't hide them get them on there line them up they look incredible before we close that up just a fresh squeeze of that incredible lime again and now the SLO the SLO is what makes this just lay that on top of those beautiful pink shrimp and then finally just before we close that up get your lime and just grate that key lime zest over that sandwich the flavor of these key limes are second to none they are Majestic and then finally cap it off and look just squeeze that juice over there oh my goodness and then close that baby up on she goes push that down nice and firm and slice the beautiful po boy down let the knife do the work oh my goodness me a delicious incredible fresh PoBoy sandwich from the middle of the Florida Keys Adon Sanchez eat your heart out that's what I call a PoBoy\n"