Cajun Gumbo Mac and Cheese with Andouille and Shrimp

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Bring plenty of water to the boil in a 20 cm pot, add the salt and cook the macaroni over high heat for 7 min. Cook it 2 minutes less than the packet says; it finishes in the oven as it soaks up the sauce. Drain.

   Add in this stepMacaroni (short pasta) 160 gSalt (for the pasta water) 1½ tsp

   high heat

2. Heat the oil in a 24 cm pan over medium-high heat and cook the sausage, onion, green pepper and celery (all cut into 1 cm pieces) and the minced garlic for 6 min, until the vegetables soften. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 min more, just until they start turning pink, then turn off the heat. They finish cooking in the oven, so stopping here keeps them from turning rubbery.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tspSmoked sausage (andouille if you can find it) 100 gOnion ½Green bell pepper ½Celery stalks 1Garlic cloves 1Peeled raw shrimp 120 g

   medium-high heat

3. Melt most of the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir over medium heat for 4 min to make a pale peanut-coloured roux. When it smells toasty, add the milk a little at a time, whisking out any lumps, and simmer for 5 min, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

   Add in this stepButter 28 gPlain flour 25 gMilk, at room temperature 400 ml

   medium heat

4. Take it off the heat and stir in the cheddar (keep a handful for the top), Monterey Jack, smoked paprika, cayenne, thyme and hot sauce until the cheese melts into a smooth sauce. Taste and add a little salt if needed.

   Add in this stepCheddar, grated 90 gMonterey Jack, grated 60 gSmoked paprika 1 tspCayenne pepper 1 pinchDried thyme ½ tspHot sauce 1 tsp

5. Fold the macaroni and the sausage, vegetable and shrimp mixture into the sauce and spoon it into a 18×13 cm baking dish. Scatter over the reserved cheddar, then melt the remaining butter, mix it with the panko and sprinkle it evenly on top.

   Add in this stepCheddar, grated 30 gPanko breadcrumbs 4 tbspButter 7 g

6. Bake in the oven at 200 °C for 15 min, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then scatter with spring onions. It is very hot and runny straight out of the oven, so give it a moment.

   Add in this stepSpring onions, sliced 1

   oven