Shrimp FƩtα-αccΘmpli

To do our part in supporting the Greek economy, we purchased some feta at the grocery store.  As it turns out, it is really hard to buy imported feta at your neighborhood HEB.  All the brands they carry are made in the U.S. and presumably aren't nearly as delicious.  Well....didn't feel like making a trip to Whole Foods to find better cheese, so let's just move on.

So, as we’ve previously mentioned, we’re big fans of buying the individually frozen, deveined shell-on shrimp.  They defrost quickly and require very little prep work.  Also makes us feel all  fancy pants having a shrimp dinner mid-week.  This greek shrimp recipe from America’s test kitchen is a real winner (free registration required to view).  It’s chock full of goodness… and deliciously salty feta.

Some special ingredients here that make all the difference: orzo (which is basically a ric-shaped pasta), anise liqueur (which is licorice-flavored), wine (which you know what that is) and bell peppers (red peppers were on sale this week!).  The recipe actually calls for ouzo, which if you watched "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" then you will know what that is all about.  The anise liqueur works just as well (the recipe itself offers some other potential substitutions).

First you marinade the shrimp in garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, and the anise liqueur.  It only needs like 20 minutes, so you can proceed with the rest of the recipe while it's marinating.

Sauteing the peppers and onions. 

Add the tomatoes, wine, and more liqueur.

Add the shrimp only at the very end.  They only need a few minutes to cook and turn pink.  The secret is to turn the heat down really low.  The shrimp won't get tough if you cook them over low heat.

 

Finish it off with feta and dill. It may seem a little weird to have feta with seafood, but it really is quite delicious.  The feta melts into the sauce a little bit and gives it a nice tangy flavor.  Serve it over orzo pasta and it is quite amazing.  The pasta soaks up the sauce but isn't as filling as say rice would be.  Plus, somebody in our household is obsessed with pasta (but I won't say who).

As the Greeks say, “ƩɸΔΘάΩβπ!,” which means “our country may be broke, but as long as we have our goats and this meal… we’re solid.”