Greek-Style Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
We can think of few examples where the unlikely combination of seafood and cheese marry as well as in Greece’s shrimp saganaki. In this dish, sweet, briny shrimp are covered with a garlic-and-herb accented tomato sauce and topped with crumbles of creamy, salty feta cheese. Ordering this dish at a restaurant, however, can be a gamble. The shrimp can be tough and rubbery, the tomato sauce can turn out dull or overwhelming, and the feta lackluster. We set out to develop a foolproof version of this dish—one that is perfectly cooked and captures the bold and exuberant essence of Greek cuisine.
We started with the tomato sauce. Canned diced tomatoes along with sautéed onion and garlic provided our base. Dry white wine added acidity. Ouzo, the slightly sweet anise-flavored Greek liqueur, added welcome complexity when we simmered it in the sauce.
While the shrimp are typically layered with the tomato sauce and feta and baked, we found this method lacking. Since this should be a quick and easy dish, we opted to cook the shrimp right in the sauce; adding the shrimp raw to the sauce helped infuse them with the sauce’s bright flavor. And for even more flavor, we marinated the shrimp with olive oil, ouzo, garlic, and lemon zest first while we made the sauce. Final touches included a generous sprinkling of feta over the sauced shrimp as well as a scattering of chopped fresh dill.
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on, if desired (see note)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ouzo (see note)
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon Grated zest from 1 lemon
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 small onion, diced medium (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced medium (about ½ cup)
1/2 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced medium (about ½ cup)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomato, drained, 1/3 cup juices reserved (see note)
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1½ cups) (see note)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill leaves
1. Toss shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon ouzo, 1 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in small bowl until well combined. Set aside while preparing sauce.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, red and green bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables release their moisture, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture cooks off and vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes longer. Add remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and reserved juice, wine, and remaining 2 tablespoons ouzo; increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and sauce is slightly thickened (sauce should not be completely dry), 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add shrimp along with any accumulated liquid to pan; stir to coat and distribute evenly. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are opaque throughout, 6 to 9 minutes for extra-large or 7 to 11 minutes for jumbo, adjusting heat as needed to maintain bare simmer. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle evenly with feta. Drizzle remaining tablespoon oil evenly over top and sprinkle with dill. Serve immediately.
Note: This recipe works equally well with jumbo (16 to 20 per pound) or extra-large (21 to 25 per pound) shrimp, but the cooking times in step 3 will vary slightly depending on which you use. If you don’t have ouzo, see “No Ouzo?” (below) for suggested alternatives. Our preferred brand of canned diced tomatoes is Hunt’s, and our preferred brand of feta cheese is Mt. Vikos Traditional. Serve the shrimp with crusty bread or steamed white rice.
Note: Ouzo, the popular anise-flavored spirit of Greece, lends shrimp saganaki a nuanced flavor that we like. But since ouzo is not in everyone's liquor cabinet, here are two alternatives.
PERNOD: Though slightly sweeter than ouzo, this French anise-flavored liqueur is the next best thing.
VODKA + ANISE SEED: One tablespoon of vodka plus 1/8 teaspoon of anise seed makes for a fine substitute for 1 tablespoon of ouzo.
None Available.