Fried Shrimp with Tasso and Gravy - Low Country Favorite

We made the Tasso required for the recipe a day before. It is a spicy product which we couldn't find locally. First, remove the casing from a link sausage and cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Make a mix of 1T paprika, 1 clove minced garlic, 2T diced onion, salt pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Toss the mixture with the sausage and refrigerate.

Peal and devein 1 1/2 lb of shrimp. Toss them with a mixture of 3/4C flour and 1/2C corn meal. Shake off the excess and reserve it for later. Cook the shrimp in 1/4C oil until they are lightly browned. Remove them from the skillet and saute 1/3C onion, 1/3C bell pepper 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/3C celery. Add the sausage to the mixture and cook through. When the sausage is cooked, add the reserved flour and corn meal and stir until smooth and bubbly. Add 2C of chicken stock or more until the gravy is the desired consistency. Add the shrimp back to the pan and heat through. Serve with polenta, rice or pasta and Tabasco for extra heat. Very nice with a cold dry white wine or beer.