Shrimp Saganaki-Style

Shrimp top a delicious sauté of fennel, scallions and feta in this version of saganaki. A saganaki is a shallow, two-handled skillet that is one of the most traditional cooking vessels in Greece. Saganaki is also the name of the fried cheese, made in the pan, which is one of Greece's most famous appetizers.


4 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 jumbo shrimp, (6-8 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium bulb fennel, cored and finely chopped
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 small chili pepper, such as jalapeño or Serrano, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay, preferably Greek
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet (or “saganaki” pan) over medium heat. Add fennel, scallions and chile pepper and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in wine. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Place the shrimp on top of the fennel mixture, cover and cook until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, feta and pepper to the pan and stir until the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute. Serve the shrimp atop the fennel mixture.

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient note: Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make 1 pound. For example, “6-8 count” means there will be 6 to 8 shrimp in a pound. Shrimp that size are usually labeled “jumbo.” Prawns will also work well in this recipe.

Nutrition

Per serving: 239 calories; 9 g fat ( 4 g sat , 4 g mono ); 227 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 2 g fiber; 631 mg sodium; 540 mg potassium.