Oven-Roasted Seafood with Fennel, Feta, and Tomato

I know I've professed my love for Barefoot Contessa and her cooking over and over on this little blog, anddd I'm here to do it again. She brought this no-fuss, Greek-inspired seafood dish into my life and I'm so thankful.

Oven-Roasted Seafood with Fennel, Feta, and Tomato: a combination of tomatoes, feta cheese, shrimp and/or scallops, lemon, garlic, and fennel. I'm not even going to ask how many people have cooked with fennel before, because I have a feeling the number will be sleeeiiim. I never cook with it other than when I'm making this meal, but its so darn good I should really use it more.

So, veggies 101: Fennel is crunchy like celery, but slightly sweet, and smells like licorice. You can eat the bulb, stalks, and leaves - but for this recipe, I use the bulbs and part of the stalks.

Begin this masterpiece by sautéing fennel and minced garlic in olive oil until tender. Make sure you use a pan than has thick edges (to hold the sauce) and is oven-proof.

Add ¼ cup dry white wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. 

Add one 14 ½ ounce can diced tomatoes, 2 teaspoons tomato paste, oregano, Pernod (optional), salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.

While that's simmering, in a small bowl, combine 1 cup fresh bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. To make breadcrumbs, place a single layer of whole wheat bread slices on a baking sheet and baking at 300 F until completely dry and lightly browned. Or, pop them into the toaster until they're good and brown. Cool the slices before processing in a blender or food processor until the desired texture is achieved.

Place the shrimp, tails up, in one layer over the tomato-mixture in the skillet. 

Tail on or tail off? Tail on makes for a prettier presentation, whereas tail off saves time (and sanity) when eating. I also like to squeeze in 4 or 5 scallops in this dish, too, if there's room. 

Scatter crumbled Feta cheese and the breadcrumbs over everything.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and the bread crumbs are golden brown. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp.

Even the meat and potato guys will like this dish! I pair it with a side of orzo, cous cous, or thin spaghetti to make a meal. It takes about an hour to make, and tastes totally gourmet. The feta gets soft, the tomatoes cook down...so a loaf of crusty bread is a must with this meal.

 

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Oven-Roasted Seafood with Fennel, Feta, and Tomato
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ cups fennel, diced medium sized
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 14½ ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon Pernod (I omit this ingredient)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound (16 to 20 per pound) peeled shrimp 
• 4-6 scallops (optional)
• 5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (see below)
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Juice of 2 lemons

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10-or 12-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. 

3. Add the fennel and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fennel is tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half. 

4. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, Pernod, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Arrange the shrimp, tails up, and scallops in one layer over the tomato-mixture in the skillet. Scatter the feta evenly over the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over the shrimp.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and the bread crumbs are golden brown. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp. Serve hot.

To make breadcrumbs, place a single layer of whole wheat bread slices on a baking sheet and baking at 300 F until completely dry and lightly browned. Cool the slices before processing in a blender or food processor until the desired texture is achieved.