Prawn Orzo Saganaki
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Prawn Saganaki is a fantastic dish I absolutely love to order when in Greece, its place of origin. Prawns cooked in a delicate tomato sauce and sprinkled with feta - what’s not to like?
When I came across a recipe for prawn orzo in the book Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi came out a few years ago, it made perfect sense - adding a carb just rounds up the dish.
I found prawn orzo saganaki to be so perfectly a “one pot wonder”. Not too much fuss and in half an hour you can have a fantastic dinner to share with your loved ones. Serve this with a green salad and you have a complete meal full of goodness.
The recipe is so simple yet there is so much flavour to it, as many Mediterranean recipes are. While counting only a few ingredients, the salty feta, sweet tomatoes and plump prawns come together into something so delicious.
I used frozen prawn here, making this an easy weekday meal - most of us do have some forgotten prawns somewhere in the freezer awaiting their fate. The canned tomatoes, feta and orzo are also cupboard staples so no real need to go out into the rain and cold to prepare this fantastic and comforting meal. Feel free to swap the basil for whatever fresh (or even dried!) herbs you may have on hand.
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Ingredients (serves 4)
Adapted from Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
For the marinated feta
200g feta cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp orange zest, finely grated
1 tbsp chopped basil
For the orzo
400g jumbo prawns, fresh or frozen (thawed, if frozen, and pat dry)
1x 400g can tomatoes
400ml boiling water
200g orzo
1 veggie stock cube
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 strips orange peel
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
salt and pepper, to taste
extra basil and extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Start by marinating the feta. You can actually make a bigger batch of it and keep it in the fridge for up to a week. It goes on to flavour omelettes, risottos and the like wonderfully. Crumble the feta in a bowl. Add freshly ground black pepper, orange zest, chilli flakes, basil and olive oil. Mix well and leave to rest while you make the orzo.
In a large pan sauté the onion and garlic in a slug of olive oil. Add the orange zest and chilli flakes. Add the orzo and toast it, until it becomes a beautiful golden colour.
At this point add the canned tomatoes, veggie stock cube and boiling water. Mix well and squish the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as best as you can. Cover and let cook for 15-20 minutes, until the orzo is cooked al dente and it has the consistency of a soft risotto.
Add the prawns, submerge them in the liquid and cook for a few minutes until pink. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let rest for 2-5 minutes. Taste and season to perfection.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with the marinated feta cheese, basil, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Bon Appétit xx