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Garides saganaki (King prawns with tomato and feta)

Name: Garides saganaki (king prawns with tomato and feta) recipe
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 150g cherry tomatoes; 12 extra-large green prawns, peeled (heads and tails intact); 150g Greek feta, crumbled; Handful fennel fronds; Lemon wedges, to serve; 80g butter, chopped; 75g prawn heads; 20.00 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to drizzle; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, smashed; ½ tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves; 2 tsp tomato paste; ½ tsp fennel seeds; 200g canned chopped tomatoes; 1½ tsp red wine vinegar; 1½ tsp caster sugar; 50g trahana (sweet, see recipe notes)

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

Apr 08, 2025

"Large South Australian king prawns are prepared by removing the outer shell; the head left intact and split open to allow for the entire crustacean to be cooked and eaten! A mixture of tomatoes and trahana (see notes) makes a sweet, sour, delicious cooking sauce." – Ozge Kalvo

You'll need 2 medium cast-iron pans that will fit 6 prawn each (or see recipe notes). This recipe is by Ozge Kalvo.

150g cherry tomatoes
12 extra-large green prawns, peeled (heads and tails intact)
150g Greek feta, crumbled
Handful fennel fronds
Lemon wedges, to serve

Prawn oil

80g butter, chopped
75g prawn heads

Saganaki sauce

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to drizzle
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
½ tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 tsp tomato paste
½ tsp fennel seeds
200g canned chopped tomatoes
1½ tsp red wine vinegar
1½ tsp caster sugar
50g trahana (sweet, see recipe notes)

Method

1.

For the prawn oil, melt the butter in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the prawn heads and cook, smashing heads with a spoon, until the butter slightly browns and heads released their oil, about 3-4 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a jar and discard solids.
2.

For the saganaki sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, until golden brown. Add garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until colour darkens. Stir through fennel seeds, canned tomatoes, vinegar and sugar and cook for 5 minutes. Add the trahana and ½ cup (125ml) water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until the trahana soaks up all the liquid and the sauce is the consistency of porridge. Set aside to cool.
3.

Transfer the cooled sauce to a blender with the strained prawn oil and whiz until smooth.
4.

Preheat oven to 240°C/220°C fan-forced.
5.

Divide the cherry tomatoes between 2 medium cast-iron pans that will fit 6 prawns each (see recipe notes) and roast in the oven for 5 minutes, or until blistered. Remove from pan and set aside. Using scissors, butterfly the prawn heads. Divide the prawns between the pans, arranging the heads butterflied-side up. Spoon the saganaki sauce over the prawns, making sure not to cover the heads. Return the tomatoes to the pan and scatter over the feta. Roast for 10 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked, sauce is bubbly and feta is golden. Drizzle with extra oil and garnish with fennel fronds.
6.

Serve with lemon wedges.

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Recipe Notes

Trahana (or trahanas) is a dry miz of fermented milk and grains. It's available as plain or sweet from Greek delis and specialty grocers. You can also use a larger dish to fit all the prawns, or divide them between smaller dishes.