Prawns

Orzo with prawns, tomato and marinated feta

Name: Orzo with prawns, tomato and marinated feta
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200g feta, broken into 1cm-2cm pieces; ½ tsp chilli flakes; 4 tsp fennel seeds, toasted, lightly crushed; 75ml olive oil; 250g orzo; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 3 strips of finely shaved orange peel; 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes; 500ml vegetable stock; 400g uncooked shelled prawns; 30g basil leaves, roughly sliced

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by Yotam Ottolenghi

Aug 20, 2018

“If you start with prawns in their shell, then keep a few heads on, just for the look. The marinated feta is lovely dotted over salads, so I tend to make a batch to keep in the fridge for up to a week”- Yotam Ottolenghi. This is an edited extract from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi with photography by Jonathan Lovekin (Ebury Press, $49.99).

200g feta, broken into 1cm-2cm pieces
½ tsp chilli flakes
4 tsp fennel seeds, toasted, lightly crushed
75ml olive oil
250g orzo
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 strips of finely shaved orange peel
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
500ml vegetable stock
400g uncooked shelled prawns
30g basil leaves, roughly sliced

Method

1.

In a bowl, mix the feta with ¼ tsp chilli flakes, 2 tsp fennel seeds and 3 tsp oil. Set aside while you cook the orzo.
2.

Place a large sauté pan that has a lid on medium-high heat. Add 30ml oil, orzo, a pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper. Fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, then remove from the pan and set aside.
3.

Return the pan to the same heat and add the remaining oil, ¼ tsp chilli flakes and 2 tsp fennel seeds, the garlic and the orange peel. Fry for 1 minute or until the garlic starts to lightly brown, then add the tomatoes, stock, 200ml water, ¾ tsp salt and plenty of pepper. Bring to the boil, then stir in the fried orzo. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout, until the orzo is cooked. Remove the lid and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until the mixture has the consistency of risotto. Add the prawns and cook for 2-3 minutes until they’re pink. Stir in the basil and serve at once with the marinated feta sprinkled on top.