Zaytinya's Shrimp with Dill

Zaytinya’s Shrimp With Dill 
(Garides me anitho)

When we lived in Virginia, my absolute favorite restaurant was Zaytinya in DC at 701 9th St NW. It was a real treat and one I sorely miss. Given that Charleston is a real foody paradise, that is high praise. Zaytinya offers an innovative mezze menu inspired by Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisines, under the direction of renowned chef José Andrés*, served up in a sleek and modern setting. The small plates are meant to be shared. My favorite was the Shrimp with Dill. I am pretty crafty at replicating recipes and that is what you will see here. Make sure your dill is the freshest you can get.  (PS, if you google this under Recipe Sleuth Mike Isabella, you can find the restaurant version. Mine is much the same, except he uses a whole lot of pepper and prepared mustard instead of seeds.)

Shrimp with Lemon, Dill and Mustard

3 shallots, chopped fine

½ c fruity olive oil 

1 Tbsp mustard seed ground fine in a mortar and pestle, or a small processor
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Juice from 2 lemons

1 tsp salt
White pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter

1 package fresh dill, chopped (reserve some for garnish)

Simmer shallots in olive oil until soft. 

Add mustard seed, cook briefly.

Add the shrimp. Cook just until cooked through. Add lemon juice and salt. Add the butter to melt. Add dill, cook briefly, stirring.

Serve with rice. Garnish with a little chopped fresh dill.

*José Ramón Andrés Puerta is a Spanish-American chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. He is often credited with bringing the small plates dining concept to America.