Prawn Saganaki with Feta, Fennel and Ouzo
I’m a sucker for a barbecued prawn, so I like to add them to the sauce straight from the grill at the last moment. If you prefer a more traditional method, add the prawns with the ouzo and feta and cook until the meat is just white and no longer translucent, 5–7 minutes.
No matter how many times I make this dish, I’m astounded by how great it tastes with such little effort. It would be criminal to serve without hunks of bread for mopping and wine for glugging.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients 13
4 tbsp olive oil
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped, fronds (and flowers if it has some) reserved
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 red chillies, fresh, deseeded, chopped
1 tsp anise seeds, crushed
salt, to season
black pepper, freshly ground, to season
750 ml bloody useful red sauce, see my recipe
125 ‒ 250 ml white wine, for thinning
3 ‒ 4 tbsp ouzo
200 g Persian feta
16 large prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
flat-leaf parsley (italian parsley), chopped, to serve
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Method 7
Preheat the oven to 180˚C (360˚F).
Warm a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the followed by the , , and . Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, lower the heat as low as it can go, and cover the pan. Cook for about 15–20 minutes, or until sweet, golden and fragrant.
Add the and simmer to incorporate the flavours for 5 minutes or so. If you are concerned your sauce is overly thick (as in it has reduced significantly on the stovetop) don’t panic, just thin out with as needed.
If you are a forward planner you can stop here. Prep the sauce and have it ready to throw the in and finish the dish later in the week.
Scoop the sauce into an ovenproof dish. Stir through the and add the chunks of . Pop in the oven and cook until warmed through and the feta has melted into indecent-looking glorious globs of cream, about 10–15 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, brush a barbecue hotplate with and bring to medium–high heat. Barbecue the , cooking for 1–2 minutes each side until the meat is white and no longer translucent.
Remove the sauce from the oven and top with the , pushing the prawns down into the glorious sauce until partially submerged and sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and the reserved fennel fronds and flowers, if using. Serve immediately.
