SHRIMPS WITH BELL PEPPERS AND CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Start with the shrimps: depending on how you bought them, they might need picking over or peeling. Try to keep tails on. Rinse well.
• Remove seeds and ribs from bell peppers and cut flesh into bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop the onion. (Use any colour bell peppers you have).
• Use a wok over a high flame: it's easiest. Fry the onions and peppers in oil, stirring often, until they are soft and "reduced" and threatening to burn - about 20 minutes. During the frying, sprinkle in the dried hot pepper flakes.
• The wok should be quite hot at this stage, so add all the cleaned shrimps in one go. You might have to add more oil.
• Stir, moving the shrimps around, until they have all become pinky white and curled up.
• (If you feel the wok would be too crowded, remove the pepper-onion mixture to a bowl, add a little more oil, heat well, and then cook the shrimps on their own).
• Don't overcook the shrimps. While they're cooking, add the fish and oyster sauce, and the lime or lemon juice.
• When shrimps are cooked, take wok off heat. If you removed the pepper-onion mixture, stir back into shrimps.
• In another medium pot, whisk the flour into the milk, put over a high heat, and keep whisking until milk boils and thickens a little.
• Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese until it melts and the sauce is smooth. (Cheese do not like being boiled). Stir in the nutmeg, garlic and salt.
• Add this cheese sauce to the shrimp mixture and fold in well.
• Remove to an oven dish, cover, and keep warm until needed. You could garnish it with snipped spring onions or chives.
• Nice served with brown basmati rice. I also cooked chopped green beans to which I added 1 wheel, crumbled, of feta cheese.
• *The cheese: I used two mild cheeses; felt as if cheddar would be too strong. Use whatever you have, or cheese bits you need to use up.