One-Skillet Shrimp Saganaki with Ouzo and Broiled Feta

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A Greek taverna classic built entirely in one oven-safe skillet: a fast garlicky tomato sauce spiked with ouzo and oregano, plump shrimp nestled on top, and a thick blanket of feta blistered under the broiler. Twenty-five minutes from cold pan to bubbling, with crusty bread for mopping the pink-orange sauce.

Ingredients

• 1.25 lb large shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp ouzo (for marinating)

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1.5 tsp dried Greek oregano
• 1/4 cup ouzo
• 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 tsp honey or sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 7 oz Greek feta in brine (preferably sheep's milk), crumbled
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 loaf crusty bread, sliced and warmed

Instructions

1. Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels, then toss in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 tablespoon ouzo. Set aside at room temperature while you build the sauce (about 15 minutes).
2. Position an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element and turn the broiler to high so it has a full 10 minutes to heat.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron or stainless) over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned.
4. Add the sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of the oregano. Cook 60 to 90 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to color at the edges.
5. Pour in the 1/4 cup ouzo, stand back briefly, and let it bubble hard for 45 to 60 seconds, scraping the pan, until the raw alcohol smell burns off and the liquid reduces by half.
6. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juices, the honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and simmer briskly for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough that a spoon dragged through it leaves a trail. Taste and adjust salt — remember the feta is salty.
7. Turn off the heat. Nestle the shrimp into the sauce in a single layer, pressing them halfway in so they are surrounded but their tops stay exposed. Scatter the crumbled feta evenly over everything and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano.
8. Slide the skillet under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque and curled and the feta is softened with browned, blistered spots. The shrimp are done at 120°F internal; they will finish carrying over in the hot sauce. Watch closely after minute 4 — broilers vary wildly.
9. Let the skillet rest 3 minutes off the heat. Shower with the dill, parsley, and lemon zest, drizzle with the last tablespoon of olive oil, and bring the pan to the table with warm crusty bread for dunking.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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