Ina Garten’s Roasted Shrimp with Feta

Shrimp is far and away the popular seafood in the country and has been for at least the last 10 years.  Nothing comes remotely close to per capita shrimp consumption which hit 3.6 lbs. last year.  Just for comparison, salmon catapulted to the second position beating canned tuna for the first time ever in 2013.  But it’s an also-ran with Americans eating fully a pound less of salmon than they do of shrimp.  Needless to say, I am a shrimp aficionado.  It is so easy to keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer.  They defrost in no time and like almost all seafood, they cook in record time.  So when I came across this Ina Garten recipe from her 2010 cookbook “How Easy is That?” (Clarkson Potter), I had to try it. The results were nothing short of remarkable.

Recipe for Ina Garten’s Roasted Shrimp With Feta 

Copyright 2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

Serves 4. Takes about 35 minutes to make. 

 

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 or Ouzo 

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

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and sauté 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. 

 

2. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, Pernod or Ouzo, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.

 

 

 

3. Arrange the shrimp, tails up, in one layer over the tomato -mixture in the skillet. Scatter the feta evenly over the shrimp. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. 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.