I have memories of eating these perfect sandwiches during my summers in Montreal as a kid. I've never been able to find another sandwich like it so I decided to recreate it. The perfect sandwich for iftaar, or any other time really.
Shrimp Shawarma Sandwiches
Prep Time: 35 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Yield: 8 pieces, 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the Sandwich
600 g (1.3 lbs) peeled, deveined shrimp
2 tbs yogurt
3 tbs fresh lemon juice, divided
2 tbs white vinegar
4 tbs olive oil, divided
2 tbs grated onion
1 tsp salt
1 tbs shawarma seasoning
1/2 cup garlic sauce, plus more for serving
5 tbs softened butter, divided
A handful of parsely, minced
A sprinkle of flaked sea salt
1 French baguette
For the Fries
2 kg russet potatoes
Cold water
4 tbs olive oil (sub any neutral oil like vegetable, canola, etc)
Salt to taste
OR...
2 kg frozen French fries, prepared according to package directions
DIRECTIONS
To a mixing bowl, add the shrimp, yogurt, 2 tbs lemon juice, vinegar, 2 tbs olive oil, grated onion, salt, and the shawarma seasoning. Mix well, cover, and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge while you prepare the fries.
If you are using frozen fries, skip to step 5. For homemade fries, cut the potatoes into French fry shapes. You do not have to peel them, but you can if you wish. Place the fries into ice cold water for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Drain the fries and dry them very well with a paper towel, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Toss with 4 tbs olive oil and mix very well to coat all of the potatoes. Place the fries on a parchment lined baking tray in a single layer. Do not pile the fries on top of each other, or they will not crisp as well. If needed, use two trays.
Bake the fries for 20 minutes at 375 F, then take them out to give them a stir and increase the temperature to 450 F. Bake for an additional 40 minutes, taking out halfway through to stir. When done, sprinkle generously with flakey sea salt.
When there is 20 minutes left on the fries, start the rest of the sandwich. Cut the baguette in half lengthwise, and spread the insides well with 3 tbs softened butter. Preheat a large grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is smoking, add the remaining 2 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs butter. Place the shrimp in a single layer, but avoid using any of the liquid from the marinade. Cook for a total of 3 minutes, flipping halfway through, then transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbs lemon juice, a handful of parsely, and pinch of flakey sea salt.
Turn the heat down to low and place the baguette in the same grill pan/skillet, buttered side down. There's no need to clean it - you want the bread to soak up the remaining juices. Toast the baguette to your liking, then remove from heat. If needed, cut in half to make it fit in the pan.
Assemble the sandwiches. Spread the garlic sauce generously on each piece of baguette, reserving about 1 tbs. Pile about half of the fries generously on one half of the baguette, and the shrimp on the other half. Drizzle the remaining garlic sauce over the shrimp, and close the sandwich. Cut into pieces.
Serve the remaining fries alongside the sandwich, with more garlic sauce for dipping if desired.
NOTES
Use good quality garlic sauce for this recipe - I usually go to my local shawarma shop and ask for a tub. A lot of shawarma restaurants will sell it to you.