Ebi to Broccoli "Gratin"

Ingredients:
White Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup finely shredded mild white cheese such as Monterey Jack

1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon, unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 cup small broccoli florets
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground pepper
2 cups cooked elbow macaroni, warm or at room temperature

Topping:
1 cup finely shredded mild white cheese such as Monterey Jack
2 tablespoons panko or plain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square (5-cup) flameproof baking dish.

To make the white sauce, in a small saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the flour in small increments and stir constantly to create a smooth paste, about 3 minutes. Do not allow it to color. Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Then cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickly coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the salt and the 1/4 cup cheese, stir to melt the cheese, remove from the heat, keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine the shrimp and wine and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. In a frying pan, melt the 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and the shrimp and wine and stir to coat with the onion. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain any liquid from the pan into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Set the shrimp-and-broccoli mixture aside. Add enough of the white sauce to the measuring cup to total 2 cups. (This recipe may make more white sauce than you need. Leftover sauce can be stored flat in a freezer bag and used to thicken soups or stews, or to enrich macaroni and cheese.)

Put the cooked macaroni in the prepared baking dish. Spread the shrimp mixture evenly over the macaroni, and then pour the sauce evenly over the top so that the macaroni and shrimp mixture are evenly covered. Sprinkle the 1 cup cheese and then the panko evenly over the sauce and dot with the butter pieces.

Bake the gratin until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the oven dial to broil, place the baking dish about 4 inches from the heat source, and broil until the top browns lightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

Remove from the broiler, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve hot directly from the dish.

Excerpted from Let's Cook Japanese Food! by Amy Kaneko with permission from Chronicle Books © 2007. Photography by Deborah Ory.