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Shrimp Saganaki

Miche Genest
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Servings 4 Dinner or 8 Appetizer

Ingredients
  

  • Shrimp Saganaki
  • Shrimp
  • 1 lbs. coon stripe shrimp or spot prawns peeled and rinsed
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbsp Ouzo Aquavit or Absinthe (optional)
  • Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes washed, or 1 28-oz can plum tomatoes
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 to 6 oz feta cheese the kind that comes in a block
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • A splash of Ouzo Aquavit, or Absinthe (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 F. In a medium bowl, toss shrimp or spot prawns in olive oil, garlic, parsley and Ouzo or Aquavit, if using. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
  • Heat oil in a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes to the pan. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, cook until the tomatoes pop and release their juices. Cook another 2 minutes or so, until some of the juice has evaporated. If the pan starts to get dry before the tomatoes pop, add a splash of Ouzo, Aquavit or Absinthe.
  • If you’re using canned tomatoes, add them, juice and all, to the pan. Break up the tomatoes with a fork and cook until most but not all of the juice has evaporated. (Add the optional liquor, by all means!)
  • Lay marinated shrimp overtop of the sauce, pouring the marinade in and around them.
  • Cut feta into 6 to 8 slices, 1/4-inch thick, and lay overtop of the shrimp so that most of the pan is covered.
  • Place frying pan in the oven. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melting at the edges and beginning to brown.
  • Remove from the oven. If you have a good trivet to protect the table, bring the frying pan to the table with an oven mitt on the handle and lots of reminders that the pan is HOT. It’s a nice way to serve, with some crusty bread and a green salad on the side.