The Greek dish 'garides saganaki', is a bubbling concoction of prawns, tomatoes, onions, chilli peppers, and Greek feta cheese, spiked with a shot of Ouzo. It’s said to have been invented in the 1950s, most likely at a restaurant in a busy seaside town, popularising it among tourists. It is now a standard on Greek menus, and quick and satisfying to make at home.
What a fine way to execute those tiger prawns, á la Grecque, and impress your family and friends!
Yield: serves 2
Ingredients
2-3 tbsp. Greek extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 medium hot green chili, stemmed and finely chopped
3-4 medium sized chopped ripened tomatoes
6 large head-on shrimp (about 400g), bodies peeled (heads and tail shells left intact), deveined
150g Mevgal Greek feta, coarsely crumbled
1 shot of Ouzo liquor (Use Pernod if you can’t get hold of Ouzo)
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Heat grill to high. Heat oil in an a medium round metal gratin dish or a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add onion and chili, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, and season to taste with salt and pepper; cook until tomato sauce slightly thickened.
Arrange prawns in dish, spoon some sauce on top, and continue to simmer until shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Scatter feta around shrimp, then transfer dish to grill, and grill until feta begins to melt, about 2 minutes.
Remove dish from grill. Warm ouzo in a tiny pot over low heat, then ignite it with a kitchen match and pour over shrimp and feta. When flames die out, garnish dish with parsley, and serve.