Shrimp and Cornmeal Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/3 cups instant corn grits (4 packets, 28g each)
• 1 cup grated cheddar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 350 g large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1.5 cups of bread, cut off the crust and tear the crumb into 4 cm pieces.
• 2 large bunches green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 andouille sausage, cut into half-moons (90 g)
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• Half a red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp flour
• 0.5 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 0.5 tsp hot sauce + extra for serving
• Juice of half a lemon

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. In a large saucepan, bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, place the cornmeal, 1/2 cup of cheddar, 2 tablespoons of butter, and a few grinds of black pepper in a 2-quart baking dish. Pour in the boiling water and stir until no lumps remain.
3. Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the bread and a pinch of salt, toss quickly to coat, then transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
4. Wipe out the skillet and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the green onions (reserve 1 tablespoon for serving), andouille, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery and bell pepper are softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring for 1 minute, then add the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the skillet from the heat and add the shrimp. Immediately spread the shrimp mixture evenly over the cornmeal in the baking dish. Top with bread crumbs and the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar.
5. Bake until the shrimp are pink and the top of the casserole is golden, 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining green onions. Serve with hot sauce.
   
   Note
   
   This recipe calls for instant corn grits, which cook in 1 minute (usually sold in 28g packets), rather than quick-cooking corn grits, which cook in 5 minutes.