This is one of those dishes I often ordered at a Greek restaurant but hadn’t yet ventured making (but now I’m glad I did)! It features prawns (shrimp) simmered in a slightly-spiced tomato sauce. There’s also a little chili, a dash of ouzo, plenty of olive oil and it all marries perfectly with melted feta cheese on top.

There are many Saganaki recipes to choose from, but here are my suggestions for creating a stand-out dish. First, use ouzo to flavor your dish. This is an anise-flavored liqueur, giving it a mild licorice flavor. Some recipes call for using white wine, some recommend brandy, but a splash of ouzo will give your dish an authentic Greek taste!

Second, I prefer using real chili peppers in my recipe, rather than dried chili flakes. Using diced real chilis will give a little more ‘crunch’ and color to the dish. I use red chilis like Fresno or small Thai ones, and sometimes augment with green Jalapeno peppers (which turn red after a few days). You can dial the amount of heat up or down according to your taste.

Also, let your tomato sauce fully develop before adding the prawns toward the end (I use large, raw ones). I cook my sauce for at least 15-20 minutes before adding the prawns. Once they are cooked, add the feta cheese and then broil in the oven for several minutes until the cheese is melted.

Saute’ the veggies and chilis until soft.

Add the tomatoes and ouzo and cook for at least 15 minutes before adding the raw prawns.