Smoky Shrimp Saganaki
Updated Sept. 11, 2024
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1chipotle chile (or similar), stem and seeds removed
- 1ancho chile (or similar), stem and seeds removed
- 2fresh long red chiles (or similar), split open lengthwise with the stem intact
- 1head garlic (1 clove minced, the rest separated but left skin-on and whole)
- 24ounces cherry tomatoes
- ¾cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- 1(8-ounce) block feta
- ½pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
- ½cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- Crusty bread, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
675 calories; 55 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 32 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 1015 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Step 2
Add the chipotle chile, ancho chile, fresh chiles, whole garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper to a 10-inch cast-iron pan or an 8-by-11-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Tuck the dried chiles underneath so that they are submerged in oil to avoid burning. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir, keeping the dried chiles submerged in oil.
- Step 3
Nestle the feta into the middle of the mixture, and return to the oven for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are nicely charred and the feta has softened, then remove from the oven.
- Step 4
While the feta cooks, delicately butterfly the shrimp by making a shallow cut using a sharp paring knife along the back of each shrimp from head to tail.
- Step 5
Set the broiler to the highest setting and let it heat up for 5 minutes.
- Step 6
Stir the shrimp and the crushed garlic into the tomato mixture, leaving the feta whole in the middle. Broil on the top rack for 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through and the feta is golden brown.
- Step 7
To serve, spoon some of the tomato mixture on top of the feta, then sprinkle over the cilantro. Serve with crusty bread.
Private Notes
Comments
The garlic cloves cooked in the baking dish are left in their skins. You squeeze out the garlic as you eat the dish -- delicious. It's one of my favorite ways to eat garlic. The single garlic clove is minced or "crushed" in a press and tossed with raw shrimp before you add them.
This is a great dish and made even more special with the dried peppers that melt into the sauce. I followed the recipe closely, but did add more cooking time for my tomatoes. I also added some white beans in the first step because we were hungry! I was a skeptic, but there’s plenty of flavor and depth. Still confused about the garlic cloves for serving but we managed. I served a black lime focaccia from Ottolenghi Test kitchen cookbook which went surprisingly well. Delicious!
@Linda About the garlic: When it says skin on for the whole cloves, how does that work in the final dish?
Brilliant recipe, absolutely delicious. That being said, we did make some adjustments; peeled the garlic cloves, used one red bell pepper and 3 fresno peppers, used the dried ancho, but substituted 1/2 tsp chipotle powder for the dried chipotle chile. Doubled the shrimp. Paired with a zucchini ribbon salad with garlic lemon dressing and homemade wheat bread. This will go on repeat.
This was great and will go into regular rotation. I eyeballed quantities because I needed to feed 7 people, and served it with buttered orzo. Next time I will try to prioritize surface area and use a wider, shallower dish to maximize the grilled parts of the feta and shrimp, they were so good.
I goofed and prepared rice to go with this sumptuous dish. It doesn't need anything but the Shrimp Saganaki and sauce in a bowl with crusty bread to soak up the fabulous tomato sauce. I used what I had in the pantry: dried guajillo and ancho chili peppers plus some fire roasted green chilies. Otherwise followed the recipe. It was fantastic, except the rice soaked up too much sauce, but was excellent also. Just a salad and bread makes this a five-star dinner. Fun to make.