Tomorrow is Round 3 of the Masters and I’m so looking forward to watching. The Masters is famous for their pimento cheese sandwiches, and you can make one using some good bread and my pimento cheese recipe (trust me, it’s fantastic) and I also made a curry chicken salad sandwich earlier this week that always reminds me of golf. But, for today, I thought that I’d finish out this week with something spicy – a buffalo shrimp sandwich with blue cheese and chive dressing.

The other day my dad sent me a picture of his and my mom’s lunch. He made buffalo chicken sandwiches. My mom gave me a call and while we chatted she told me how he made them: a little bit of leftover fried chicken re-heated and tossed in buffalo sauce with lettuce, tomato, and mayo and set it in a baguette.

They sounded so delicious, and my mom had an idea; why not make a buffalo shrimp version of the sandwiches? My mom said she had been on a spicy kick lately and she always loves lots of fresh herbs, so the buffalo shrimp and a dressing with lots of fresh chives sounded like the natural choice. My parents always give me great ideas and inspiration – and this was no exception.

While working on Kiawah, my favorite lunch was always when we’d go over to the local restaurant and pick up some fried shrimp. We’d come back to the patio on the golf course and dive into them while watching the golfers on the 18th green. It was always breezy from the ocean and it was the best way to relax for a few minutes before getting back onto the course.

When I went to make these, I experimented with just pan sauteing them and then tossing them in buffalo sauce, but they just didn’t come out how I wanted them to. I remembered eating those fried shrimp on Kiawah and how great they were, so I decided to quickly fry the shrimp in a cornstarch coating which made them extra crispy without being heavy. I then tossed them in the buffalo sauce and finished with an extra creamy blue cheese chive dressing. You will love these sandwiches as they are a cinch to prepare and they have the exact amount of heat that you want for a breezy spring day – on or off the golf course.

 Buffalo Shrimp Sandwiches with Blue Cheese and Chive Dressing

1 lb raw shrimp, deveined and peeled (tails off)
Cornstarch, for dusting
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup buffalo or hot sauce
4-5 Tbsps butter
Sub rolls or other crusty bread
Blue cheese and chive dressing, recipe follows
Lettuce, finely shredded
Blue cheese crumbles, for garnish

Begin by heating a large skillet filled with about a 1/4″ of oil over medium-high heat. Place the cornstarch in a shallow dish and toss the shrimp lightly to coat. When the oil is hot place the shrimp in, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook for a few minutes and flip on the other side and continue to cook until shrimp are golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Season with salt immediately. Repeat process with remaining shrimp until all are fried. Heat the buffalo/hot sauce and butter over the stove until melted and combined. Once all shrimp have been fried, toss in the buffalo/hot sauce so shrimp are coated.

To assemble: Spread the blue cheese and chive dressing on the bottom of a sub roll. Top with shredded lettuce, buffalo shrimp, and a few blue cheese crumbles, if desired. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Blue Cheese and Chive Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup blue cheese
3 Tbsp chives, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a food processor or blender, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, champagne vinegar, and garlic and pulse until well incorporated. Add the blue cheese and pulse until the cheese has been mixed in, but still left in small chunks. Transfer to a bowl and stir in chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store dressing in an air tight container. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.