Prawn Saganaki

Prawn Saganaki

This is a Greek originated dish that is both delicious and healthy and packed with flavour. I find that the many recipes out on the internet vary greatly on their authenticity and ingredients which make’s this dish easily adaptable to any level cook as you can choose to be as complicated with the techniques/ingredients or as easy as you like.

I have tried variations on both extremes and some in the middle and I have finally created my own version that seems to work everytime.

Ingredients

12 - 16 green king prawns

2 cloves garlic, peeled, diced
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt
Cracked Pepper

10 small-medium red vine tomatoes
15 small grape or roma tomatoes
Parmesan (shaved) or Fetta (Crumbled) –for serving

Lemon Juice - to taste

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

Preheat oven 250°C (fan-forced).

(Note: You can do this step now or whilst the prawns are marinating).Place the 10 small-medium red vine tomatoes on an oven tray and sprinkle with sea salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Place in heated oven for approx. 10 – 20mins until they begin to soften and blister. Remove from oven and set aside to cool on bench.

Begin preparing the prawns by cutting off the heads with a sharp knife. On the underside of the prawn (where legs are) use kitchen scissors to cut along from where head was removed to the beginning of the tail, then use a sharp knife along the same line you just used the scissors on, to further butterfly the prawns open. Leave prawn meat and shell intact.

Remove the digestive tract and wipe clean with paper towel. Place cut-side up onto a plate.

Press garlic and chilli over the prawn meat, drizzle with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and season with a pinch of sea salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for up to 1 hour.

Heat an oven-proof frying pan over high heat until hot. Add enough oil to cover the base then add prawns flesh side down.

Add the basil and cook for 2 minutes, gently pressing flat with a spatula until golden. Turn over and cook few more minutes.

Scatter both the fresh and the pre cooked tomatoes over the pan, season with salt and transfer to the oven.

Cook for 3 minutes until tomatoes just blistered.

Remove from the oven, crumble over the parmesan/feta, scatter over the parsley, drizzle with olive oil and a little lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper. Serve in the pan.