Shrimp Saganaki

From EatingWell: September/October 2008 — Subscribe to EatingWell Magazine Today!

Shrimp top a delicious saute 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 fried cheese, made in the pan, that is one of Greece's most famous appetizers.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This was very good. I have never used fennel before, and I was afraid because of the licorice smell. But the recipe was delicious! "

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

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Ingredients

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

Preparation

Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt.
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.
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.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value), Iron (25% dv), Calcium (20% dv), Potassium (15% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat