Recipe: Confetti corn bread–crusted creole shrimp

I love the taste of buttery corn bread and the texture of the filling and the topping. This is a great dish to eat with soup spoons. To save time, make the Creole shrimp filling a day ahead.

Creole shrimp filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
2 tablespoons flour
one 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
8 ounces bay shrimp

Topping
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room
temperature
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup peeled and diced mild green chiles,
fresh or canned (drained)
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup canned cream-style corn
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell
pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped green bell
pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

To prepare the filling, melt the butter in a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and Creole seasoning, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. S

prinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly, about 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and bay leaf.

Stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and pour the filling into an 8-by-8-inch square or round baking dish.

Set aside in a warm area, while preparing the topping.