Shrimp with Tomatoes, Feta and Ouzo
This recipe actually comes courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, and is a slight different take from a Greek shrimp dish that my Mom used to make during my high school days. The feta gets all nice in goey as it bakes with the shrimp and tomatoes, while the ouzo provides a nice anise-like flavor to the shrimp. While the recipe only hints at having bread as a side, one could easily service this on top of orzo, pasta, or even cannellini beans.
Store Notes: This dish is not cheap, calling for two pounds of shrimp and a bottle of ouzo. Unless you are Greek, or enjoy a strong anise-flavored aperitif, ouzo will probably head straight to your liquor cabinet (or in my case, above the stove next to my oils) where it will gather dust.
The one thing this dish does call for, and it really is hard to do this without (unlike the substitutability of a blender for a food processor) is having a heavy oven-ready deep sauce pan. This dish calls for cooking the sauce first on the stove, and then transferring it to the oven. In an ideal word, you could do this without warping your sauce pan. Sadly, the laws of thermodynamics apply to our reality, and if you put just any pan from the stove to the oven, you will have issues.
If you don't have a oven-resistant sauce pan, cook the sauce as directed and then pour into a oven-safe casserole dish to bake. Don't let this stop you from enjoying this dish!
Prep Notes: Not very difficult to prep. Just make sure the shrimp are peeled, devained, and sans tail. Mince the fresh oregano and thyme, and place with the red pepper flakes into a small bowl off to the side. In a large pyrex, combine the tomatoes and clam juice so it is ready to be poured after sautéing the garlic.
Cook Notes: In an oven-friendly deep sauce pan, sautéing the garlic until fragrant. Then add the tomatoes/clam juice, capers and seasonings. Cook until the sauce has reduced by about a half. Season with salt and pepper to tastes, and then set aside.
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| The sauce is simmering, ready to include the shrimp before baking |
In a separate sauté pan, melt some non-salted butter until the bottom is nice and coasted and the butter begins to foam. Add the shrimp and cook until just turning pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, add the ouzo, and place back on the heat. Shake until the ouzo lights (I, in my amateurish-ness, had to use a match) and burns. Next season with salt to taste, and transfer the shrimp to the sauce. Make sure the shrimp ARE NOT all the way cooked before they enter the sauce.
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| Tossing the shrimp with the ouzo! |
Nestle the shrimp in the sauce, cover with some feta, and bake until the shrimp are cooked and the feta is melty and gooey.
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| Final result in all of its gooey-goodness! |
Tasting Notes: This dish is like a Greek goulash: rich, hearty, and full of flavor. The feta imbues a creamy note to the palate, which is complimented nicely by the anise of the shrimp. The garlic and herbs provide a nice zest to the sauce, which combines with the shrimp and feta to create a warm and cozy experience.
Libation Notes: This dish really does not call for anything special in the wine department. Personally a carafe of Roditas would be perfect!
Overall: This is the perfect wintery-weekend dish to serve. Served with any kind of grain: pasta, orzo, bread, etc., think of chili in a bread bowl out west on the mountain! Delicious!
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