There’s a lot of good going on around here today. At the top of the list are certainly my sweet husband who took great care of me over the weekend and the welcome fact that I am kicking this travel-induced illness out the door.
Dinner tonight was a lot of good as well. I’m glad to be back in my little kitchen with its strange lighting and endless pile of dishes begging to be washed. Those weeks off from the kitchen were lovely, but I start itching to cook, and (thanks to countless hours on airplanes) I now have hundreds of bookmarked new recipes to try! Tonight though, dinner inspiration came from Peggy at Feeding Andy.
As is always the case with discovering a new blog via Secret Recipe Club, the deeper I got into Peggy’s, the harder it was for me to choose what to make. But when I saw Peggy’s pretty adaptation of Ina Garten’s Roasted Shrimp with Feta, I knew this would be the one. The dish comes together in one pan and is finished off in the oven so that it comes to the table all bubbly and hot.
It’s a pretty quick dinner proposition, especially if you have access to shrimp that is relatively oven-ready when you buy it. I’m glad to know my Thai shrimp are nice and fresh, but darned if I’m not looking forward to the day that I can purchase shrimp with their heads already cut off.
Once you make this dish for the main attraction, the sky’s the limit on how to serve it. I loved Peggy’s idea to serve it over egg noodles. It would also be great with crusty bread for dipping. I served it with whole wheat couscous tossed with roasted vegetables. But honestly, this all on its own with a salad on the side would make for a great dinner – light and satisfying – quite fitting for the first week of January.
I did adapt the recipe a bit, although I’ve posted it below in its original form. Most notably, I left out the Pernod. I think I’ll be a real grown-up when I have things like Pernod in my kitchen cabinet, but it seems I’m not there quite yet.
Thanks for the great recipe, Peggy!
- 4 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
- 1½ cups medium-diced fennel
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Pernod
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ pounds (16 to 20 per pound) peeled shrimp with tails on
- 5 ounces good feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (see note)
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 lemons
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10-or 12-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fennel is tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, Pernod, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Arrange the shrimp, tails up, in one layer over the tomato-mixture in the skillet. Scatter the feta evenly over the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over the shrimp.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and the bread crumbs are golden brown. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp. Serve hot with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.
I am hungry just looking at this picture. Yum!! Great choice.
Mellissa recently posted..Secret Recipe Club Chicken Taco Chili
This reminds me a little of an appetizer I sometimes order at my local Greek restaurant. They bring it to the table in a hot dish still sizzling away from the oven, with a basket of soft pita bread to mop up the sauce. It’s so good that I’ve often been tempted to just order two servings and call it dinner. :)
I’m cutting back on eating out this year, so this post is perfectly timed… now I can make my beloved Greek shrimp at home, instead!
Isabelle @ Crumb recently posted..Secret Recipe Club: Limpa (Swedish Rye Bread)
Mmmmmm, next time I’ll serve it with pita wedges – I love that idea. I’m resolved to eat out less this year too – here’s to learning to make our favorite restaurant dishes at home!
This looks absolutely delicious! Don’t fret. I don’t own Penrod either (and if I’m telling the truth, had to look up what it was).
Heather {ModernMealsforTwo} recently posted..12 Cakes in 2012 Review
Haha – I had to look it up too!
I’m totally the same, I hate having to rip off the heads. On New Year’s Eve a friend gave us all a lesson in prawn peeling. He has a 5-step system that’s rather clever.
You have to love a dish that is cooked all in the one pot.
Claire @ Claire K Creations recently posted..Happy New Year
You would think I’d be over it by now, but I still dread it. I got a pretty good lesson at a Thai cooking class here, but I still struggle with it…perhaps your friend should do remote lessons. ;)
i wish i had this for dinner tonight rather than my boring soup! I love your website. I am always so intrigued by the interesting, yet simple recipes and beautiful photography Jess! and PS: i loooove feta. my favorite cheese!
sally @ sallys baking addiction recently posted..sparkling jumbo blueberry muffins.
We’re having soup tonight – what is it about January that seems to require lots and lots and lots of soup….even in Thailand!?
This is one gorgeous meal. I could nearly live on feta cheese!
When my husband saw it, he said “fancy dinner!”. It’s so simple, but it does come out looking like something we’d serve to guests – lol. I’m with you – I’m pretty easily sold on anything with feta in it.
Oh my goodness, these shrimp sound amazing!! So flavorful. The garlic, wine and spices. Sounds fantastic. Lovely choice!
Kate | Food Babbles recently posted..Coffee Lover’s Cookies – Secret Recipe Club
The minute I saw this in the bloghop linky, I was smitten. Shrimp with Feta is incredible and the recipe you chose and completely rocked, is right up my crave alley! I just hope mine turns out as lovely as yours!
Lisa recently posted..Spicy Asian Marinated Flank Steak and Part 19
This is such a great one! We haven’t had it in so long, and you definitely have me craving it. Glad you like it =)
Peggy recently posted..Secret Recipe Club: Blackberry Coconut Ice Cream
The recipe is a winner, even without the pernod. I spend hours each summer pinching the heads off fresh shrimp and prawns, just to enjoy delicious dishes like this. Great SRC choice.
SeattleDee recently posted..Tomatillo Pork Tinga
This looks wonderful – all your recipes look wonderful! I just made your Cranberry and Pecan granola – super yummy.
kim recently posted..SRC – Granola
That looks fantastic! The shrimp and feta looks fresh and delicious. I love anything with Shrimp!!
Is there enough sauce to serve this with pasta? Or would I need to have some extra on the side?
DK – Yes – I think this would work served over pasta. It’s not super saucy, but there’s always extra sauce in the dish for sopping up with bread, so I think it should be great served that way.
This looks delicious! What would the freezer instructions be?
Hi Carie! Just assemble the entire dish and cover it very tightly. (No need to pre-cook it.) When you’re ready to bake it, let it defrost in the fridge for 24 hours and then follow the cooking directions as written. It should keep in the freezer for 3 to 4 months without losing any integrity! Enjoy!