Shrimp Saganaki with Blistered Feta and Burst Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, patted dry
• 8 oz block feta in brine, drained and broken into large chunks
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil or oregano leaves, torn
• 1 crusty loaf of bread, sliced thick, for serving

Steps

1. 1

   Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and turn the broiler to high. Pat the shrimp very dry and season lightly with salt — wet shrimp steam, dry shrimp sear, and we want the second one.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and just starting to turn gold at the edges — pull it before it browns or it turns bitter on you.

3. 3

   Add the cherry tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst and collapsed into a loose, jammy sauce — press a few stubborn holdouts against the side of the pan with a spoon to hurry them along. If the sauce tastes sharp, a small pinch of sugar rounds it out.

4. 4

   Stir in the lemon juice, then nestle the shrimp into the sauce in a single layer. Cook 2 minutes — they should just be turning pink at the edges but not cooked through, because the broiler is about to finish the job.

5. 5

   Tuck the feta chunks between the shrimp, drizzle everything with a little more olive oil, and slide the skillet under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes — you're watching for the feta to blister and brown at the peaks while it slumps soft underneath, and for the shrimp to curl into loose commas. Do not walk away; broilers escalate quickly.

6. 6

   Pull the skillet out — the handle is now a weapon, treat it accordingly — and scatter the lemon zest and torn herbs over the top. Rest 2 to 3 minutes so the sauce settles and nobody burns their mouth on molten feta.

7. 7

   Serve straight from the skillet with thick slices of crusty bread. The bread is not a garnish — it is the designated vehicle for the tomato-feta sauce, and skipping it is a procedural error.