Shrimp Wiggle

Nope, it doesn't wiggle on the plate, or in your belly, but makes you wiggle when you eat it because it is so good!  :o)  This is another one of our favorites and a traditional food in my area.  My Mom made it when I was a kid, it actually was not my favorite thing back then... but now, it is a dish that I thoroughly enjoy.  My son and daughter love it!  They would eat it for several meals in a row!  My son would probably eat it for breakfast, matter of fact, I think he has before....  hhhmmm, I know he has had fish chowder for breakfast in the past.  When that kid likes something, the meal that it is usually associated with is irrelevant!

Typically, Shrimp Wiggle is a bechamel sauce (creamy milk-based white sauce) with tiny Maine shrimp and baby peas in it, then served over biscuits for a hearty, stick-to-your ribs, comfort food.  Since traditional bechamel sauce is thickened with a roux, which is a mixture of butter and flour, I have adapted this recipe for gluten-free by using cornstarch as a thickener.  You can use arrowroot, if you cannot have corn products.  I added some butter into the sauce as well, because I didn't want to totally lose the rich flavor that a bechamel usually attains from the butter in the roux.  This recipe can be adapted into many other dishes.  I use this same method for making sausage gravy, except that I sautee turkey sausage, then make the sauce in the same pan with some of the dripping after removing the cooked meat,  adding the meat back into the sauce, once it is thickened - I find it is just easier to whisk in the cornstarch without dealing with all the chunks of sausage.  If you have a dairy allergy you could easily use the same method and substitute out the milk for a combination of white fish stock and vegetable stock... the end product would be basically a gluten-free  veloute sauce, it would not be as white colored of course, but I bet it would still be delicious.  You can create your own dishes with this sauce, or use it in a different application other than over biscuits...  have fun and be creative!  Please leave comments and let me know what you try!

6 c. milk (any % you like, I typically use 2%)
6 Tbs cornstarch
4 Tbs. cold water
3 (4 oz.) cans of tiny Maine shrimp, drained, reserving liquid
1-1 1/2 c. baby peas (petit peas), frozen, cooked and drained
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat milk in large sauce pan until steaming...  (watch carefully... it will boil over quickly as it gets to the boiling point)  While milk is heating combine cornstarch and water in small bowl and whisk with a fork until dissolved to make a cornstarch slurry.  When milk reaches the steaming point, pour in cornstarch slurry in a slow steady stream while whisking constantly.  Continue whisking and watch very carefully - milk should thicken as it begins to boil.  I like to turn the heat down to medium - medium/high during this stage, the milk can still boil over if brought to a boil too quickly.  As soon as it thickens, turn the heat down to low, still stirring occasionally, add the shrimp and cooked peas to the sauce.  Continue stirring occasionally until hot.  If you find that the sauce it too thick to your liking, you may add some of the reserved liquid from the shrimp or more milk...  if you think you would like it thicker, you can add more cornstarch slurry, however do this before adding the shrimp and peas simply because you will have to increase the temperature of the sauce to boiling point to thicken the cornstarch.  If the shrimp and peas are in there, they will overcook and fall apart.

Enjoy on the gluten-free, egg-free biscuits (as shown in picture above)...