Instructions: Bring water to boil in saucepan, add the onion, garlic, celery leaves, bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover and boil five minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain, reserving the broth. Discard the bay leaf.

Shell and devein the shrimp.

In a saucepan melt butter, add the flour and stir with a wire whisk until blended. Meanwhile, bring the milk and shrimp broth to a boil and add all at once to the butter-flour mixture, stirring vigorously with the whisk until the sauce is thickened and smooth.

Add the sherry, half the cheese and the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn the mixture into a shallow six-cup baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (375F) until the top is brown and bubbly.

NOTES: I substituted leftover lobster and it was delicious. Am thinking about scallops as an alternative - but think any firm seafood would work well.

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