Greek-Spiced Baked Shrimp

Introduction:

I discovered this recipe by Chef Andrea Albin in the November 2008 issue of Gourmet. I still have the original issue and have enjoyed this dish many times. Sadly, Gourmet is no longer published, but the recipe remains available online: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/greek-spiced-baked-shrimp-350590.

Ingredient list with my changes

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• I clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 can (28-32 avdp ounces or about 800-900 grams) whole or diced tomatoes in juice barely chopped in food processor
• 1-1/4 pound (about 570 grams) peeled and deveined raw shrimp: 21-25 per pound (per 454 grams).
• 1/4 pound (115 grams) feta, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons dried dill

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350^o F (177^o C) with rack in bottom third.
• Put oil in high sided 4-quart (4-liter) saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, lower heat, and cook gently for five minutes. Stir almost constantly.
• Add cinnamon and allspice and stir for 30 seconds.
• Add chopped tomatoes and chopped garlic to onion mixture and simmer for 20 minutes without cover.
• Taste for salt.
• Remove pan from heat.
• Stir 1/8 teaspoon sea salt into shrimp and then stir shrimp into tomato mixture. Pour the entire mixture into a 2-quart (2-liter) oven proof baking dish.
• Top with crumbled feta.
• Bake until the shrimp register 160-165^o F (71-74^o C). Plan on  roughly 18-20 minutes. Check early and often to avoid overcooking the shrimp. Please see note below.
• Serve sprinkled with dill.

Changes to original recipe based on my taste

• The original recipe calls for a pinch of sugar. I omit it because I believe the cooked onions add enough sweetness.
• The original recipe calls for red pepper flakes. I omit them because they can overwhelm the subtle tones of this dish. At the table I serve pepperoncini to be eaten on the side for the occasional picante kick.
• It is standard practice to saute minced garlic with onion and other aromatics. Some chefs, however, find the taste of garlic more authentic if added with the tomatoes. I agree. I do this for all tomato recipes. I know that my grandmother, Assuntina Concetta Villella DeCaria, spins in her grave. Sorry, Nonna!

Notes

• Briefly chop the tomatoes and their liquid in a blender on low speed for 10 seconds. That is speed #4 in a VitaMix. Barely chopped and definitely not frothy.
•  I have had really good luck with feta from Greece for this and other recipes. I will be watching for any domestic feta that is not too salty and lacking nuance.
• Usually, I make this dish in my kitchen oven. This time is did use the Big Green Egg (BGE) to avoid overheating the house.
• Deciding when the dish is done requires a thermometer. Without a thermometer one is tempted to overcook the dish, that is, to the point of steaming and the feta obviously melted. But by then the shrimp are rubbery and joyless. The purpose of the oven is to gently combine the flavors and cook the shrimp just until succulent. Please do not overdo the oven.

Photographs

Some of the Ingredients

I normally can my own tomatoes, but I had a complete crop failure last year, the first in 41 years. Nevertheless, premium brands of tomatoes, like Hunt’s pictured here, work just fine.

The Thawed Shrimp

I happen to like the convenience of Costco frozen raw shrimp. I put them in a 1-liter mise bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Just before cooking, off come the tails. Please keep in mind I live in landlocked Utah. I remember living in Jackson, Mississippi in 1974. During the peak of the Gulf Coast shrimping season, the regular supermarkets were selling fresh heads-on jumbo shrimp for 69 cents a pound.

Mised Ingredients

Shrimp Added to Tomato-Onion Mixture

Note that all the ingredients, except the shrimp, are now cooked. Therefore, the oven merely cooks the shrimp.

Ready for the Oven

The dusting of dill will be just before serving.

Kale Side Dish

The green kale was so beautiful that I included a photo.

Just before Closing the Lid of the Big Green Egg

Normally I would use the kitchen oven. I did not want to overheat the house on this hot day. The grill is set up for indirect heat.

On the Table

• The side dishes are the kale and Arborio rice.
• Recipe for the rice: Combine in 2-quart (2-liter) saucepan: 270 grams (1-1/2 cups) Arborio rice, 540 grams (2-1/4 cups) water, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bring mixture just to a boil without a cover over medium-high heat. As soon as boil starts, immediately lower heat to lowest setting, stir rice once quickly, and time for 12 minutes. Cover pan after a minute or so. After 12 minutes, turn heat off and allow rice to sit, still with cover, on burner for five more minutes. Then transfer rice to serving bowl.
• At sea level the rice will require 10 minutes instead of 12. (STEM Alert! Do not read the rest of this note unless bored: The 12 minutes is based on my elevation of 4335 feet (1321 meters) above sea level. At this altitude boiling water struggles to reach 203^o F (95^o C). Therefore, liquid based dishes require more cooking time.)

Endnote

I like to rank the beautiful things in life such as food, composers, favorite places, astronomical sights, etc. in tiers. Greek-Spiced Baked Shrimp is Tier #1. My deepest thanks to Chef Andrea Albin, whom I have never met, for sharing this wonderful recipe.

And my deepest thanks to you for reading this post. 

Buon appetito,

Chef Michael