Prawn Saganaki with Feta
Prawns cooked straight into a sharp tomato sauce, with chunks of feta dropped on at the end so they soften rather than melt away.
Why it works
Prawns give off water as they cook, so the sauce has to be reduced properly before they go in — otherwise it thins out and slides off. Adding the feta off the heat and covering the pan warms it through while it still holds its shape and its salt. The bread is toasted in the same pan before anything else goes near it, so it takes on oil and garlic and comes to the table as the plate rather than an afterthought in a basket.
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high. Toast the bread in two batches, about 1 minute a side, until striped brown. Rub each slice with the cut face of the halved garlic clove and stack them on the board.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the rest of the oil with the sliced garlic, onion, peppers, oregano and chilli. Cook 3 minutes, until the peppers give and the garlic is pale gold. Take it no further than that or it turns bitter.
- Pour in the ouzo and let it bubble for 30 seconds, then add both tins of tomatoes and a good pinch of salt. Simmer hard for 4 minutes, until the sauce holds a clear channel when you drag a spoon across the pan base.
- Stir in the beans, then the prawns, pushing them under the sauce. Cook 3 minutes, turning once, until they are pink and curled into a loose C. A tight O means they have gone too far. Fold the spinach through in handfuls as they finish.
- Take the pan off the heat, scatter the feta over the top and cover for 1 minute so it warms and slumps at the edges.
- Finish with parsley, black pepper and lemon wedges. Lay two slices of toast on each plate and spoon the pan over them, sauce and all.
For the toddler
The chilli goes in at step 2 and the salt at step 3, so theirs is easiest cooked alongside — a few slices of pepper and onion softened in a small pan with plain oil, a spoonful of tinned tomato, then three prawns for two minutes. Feta cannot be unsalted, so leave it off and crush them some butter beans instead. Chop the prawns small. A quarter of an adult plateful is plenty.
How the toddler notes workChef’s notes
Mussels or clams instead of prawns — cover and steam 4 minutes, discarding any that stay shut.
Buy prawns already peeled and you lose 4 minutes of prep.
Cucumber and red onion in vinegar with dried mint, or a plate of olives and pickled green chillies straight from the jar.
Keeps 2 days chilled. Reheat gently and briefly, or the prawns turn rubbery, and toast fresh bread rather than yesterday's.