So I seem to be having this Greek thing going on... No comments!
It may simply be that it's summer... or possibly the discovery of cheap but not bad feta at Trader Vic's... or the oregano in the garden...
Whatever the cause, I had a plan for the other night, and it worked out brilliantly, if I do say so myself.
There's a traditional baked Greek dish (yiouvetsaki) that includes tomatoes, shrimp, feta, and dill. And I thought I'd do a riff on that.
I made a sorta kinda vaguely Greek tomato sauce by sweating some onions and garlic in EVOO, and then I added small pinches of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, cinnamon, and allspice. Next I crushed a few canned tomatoes, added them to the pan, and let all of this simmer for about 10 minutes until it started to thicken...
In went about 20 thawed, peeled, deveined shrimp, and I turned the heat waaaay down (there are few things less tasty than overcooked shrimp!). When the shrimp were just barely done, I ladled this gorgeous mixture onto plates and topped it all with a shower of feta mixed with a ridiculous amount of fresh dill.
Now the Greeks customarily bake this glorious dish... I didn't. The shrimp were absolutely perfect, so why ruin them just to melt the cheese? I love the idea of contrasting textures anyway, and if you stir it all, the cheese will melt anyway!
Then I decided that, though we had baguette, something else might be fun, so I heated two small nonstick skillets... added EVOO... tossed in some shredded potatoes with a bit of pepper and smoked salt...
and in about 6 minutes (3 per side), we had our own individual roti to go alongside...
This was one of those giggly dishes... We sat at table laughing as we ate it... with nothing more to accompany it than hunks of baguette and really cold cheap white wine...
I know the combination may seem odd to some of you (not to you, Panagiota), but trust me:
Ignore the no-cheese-with-seafood rule! You'll be thrilled with this dish, and it could hardly be easier or faster.