Ingredients

6 soft sandwich rolls
2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
canola oil for frying
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pinch cayenne pepper

For the Crab Aioli:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup lump crabmeat
2 cloves garlic, finely crushed
salt to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon

For the Soak:

1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp ground chipotle pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt

For the Breading:

1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cornmeal
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Step 1
Combine mayonnaise, crab, garlic, salt, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and tarragon in a bowl for the crab aioli. Stir to combine and refrigerate until needed.

Step 2
Remove tails from shrimp and keep chilled until ready to use.

Step 3
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 4
Whisk buttermilk, hot sauce, chipotle pepper, cayenne, black pepper, and salt together in a bowl.

Step 5
Mix flour, cornmeal, paprika, and salt together in a shallow dish for the breading.

Step 6
Slice partway through each sandwich roll, splitting it open. Scoop out some bread from the top to make room for the filling.

Step 7
Toast rolls in the preheated oven until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.

Step 8
Soak shrimp in the buttermilk mixture for about 5 minutes.

Step 9
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Spread crab aioli generously over both sides of each roll; top with sliced lettuce.

Step 10
Toss shrimp in the breading to coat; shake off any excess. Fry shrimp in the hot oil until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and immediately transfer shrimp onto the rolls. Sprinkle cayenne pepper on top.