The Buffalo shake is back!

It's orange. It's spicy. It's definitely a conversation starter.

And you have Liz Lemon to thank for it.

The Buffalo Chicken Milkshake started as a joke on "30 Rock," part of Liz Lemon's idea of happiness, when she sees a poster in a fast-food restaurant announcing the return.



Of course, it was only a short time before blogger Robert Bishop came up with a recipe for it and convinced "30 Rock" writer Tracey Wigfield to try it on camera. And of course, when I was trying Buffalo dishes for this week's story on Buffalo beyond the wings, I had to whip one up and give it a shot, too.

My reactions:
1. It's actually tastier than you'd think. It's not sweet at all. But the contrast between the spicy heat and the cold was fun.
2. A shot would be a good idea. If you're going to serve it for a Super Bowl party, it kind of cries out for a little tequila.
3. A shot would be a good idea, Part II: Keep the servings small. It's very rich, and it wears on you after 4 ounces or so.
4. Skip the chicken. Bishop's version just sticks a fried chicken strip in the glass. Unnecessary. But a celery stick and a final sprinkling of blue cheese are definitely called for.

Here's Bishop's recipe and my modifications.

Buffalo Milkshake

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk, plus 1 cup milk, divided
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
2/3 cup tomato juice
2/3 cup Buffalo wing sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Celery sticks

Place the cream, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk and 1/4 cup blue cheese in a blender. Blend a few times to mix (Bishop suggests only pulsing so the mixture doesn't get frothy, but I didn't see that it made a difference. It will smooth out in the freezer). Add the tomato juice, wing sauce and Worcestershire. Blend again. Pour into a shallow freezer-safe container with a lid (I used a plastic container).
Place in the freezer and stir with a fork every 30 minutes, until solid.
Measure out 2 cups frozen mixture. Place in the blender with 1 cup milk. Blend until smooth but still cold and creamy. Serve in small glasses with a celery stick and a sprinkling of blue cheese.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.