PRAWN SAGANAKI WITH FETA AND OLIVES

I love serving this straight from the pan with warm, crusty bread to dunk into the delicious sauce. Ideally, use whole prawns as the heads add the best flavour.

SERVES 4 AS A SHARING PLATE

300g shell-on medium prawns, fresh or frozen (defrosted if frozen) 2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, sliced into slivers 2 bay leaves

1-2 sprigs of thyme

150ml ouzo (or brandy or white wine)

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

270g tomato passata

50ml warm water

70g kalamata olives, pitted

60g feta, crumbled sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Peel and clean/de-vein the prawns, keeping their heads and tails in place. Season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Place a large, ovenproof pan over a medium heat, heat half the olive oil and sauté the prawns for 1-2 minutes just until they change colour.

Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and sauté the onion until soft and glossy. Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme, stir for another minute, then pour in the ouzo. Give it a couple of minutes to infuse, then add the halved tomatoes, stir, and pour in the passata and warm water. Season with a little salt (keep in mind that you‘ll be adding feta and olives which are salty) and plenty of pepper, lower the heat to medium and let it cook for 5-8 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas 6½. Return the prawns to the pan, add the olives and sprinkle the crumbled feta on top. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the feta starts to melt. Remove from the oven, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.