Greek shrimp with feta

I just finished reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It's a wonderful page-turner of a book about Calliope Stephanides, and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family in Detroit. The book has everything a good page turner needs -- great characters, sex, car races, drug dealing, narrow escapes, and some fabulous food. Ever since I started this book, I've been craving Greek food, and the other night I finally decided to do something about it. I made the Greek shrimp stew with feta. Fish and cheese? In most cuisines it's a no-no, but this particular combination works surprisingly well.

Note: When tomatoes are in season, this dish is best made with fresh ones (you'll need about 5 tomatoes for 4 servings). But in winter, I use canned.

Serves 4

1-1/2 Lb medium shrimp, peeled and tails removed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tbsp finely minced oregano
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Minced parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place shrimp in a bowl of iced, salted water (1 Tbsp kosher salt per quart of water) and let brine while preparing the sauce.
   
2. Set a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil, onions, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook stirring occasionally until onions are tender and golden, about 15 minutes.
3. Add garlic and oregano and stir until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and wine, turn up the heat and bring to a simmer. When the sauce starts to bubble, return to medium-low heat and cook for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
5. Remove shrimp from the brine and dry on paper towels. Season with pepper and place on top of the sauce in one layer (don't mix). Sprinkle the feta on top. Cover, turn up the heat to medium-high, and cook just until shrimp turn pink, 2-3 minutes.
6. Take off heat, sprinkle with parsley and serve with good crusty bread.