Prawn Saganaki

Post-vacation depression is: 

The. Worst.

Mostly because, Sweetheart, everyday life is so far from sunshine, beaches and rosé all day – especially if you live in the SF Bay Area. But, more on that later.

I recently returned from two weeks in Greece where I adventured to different parts of the islands of Mykonos and Santorini on the back of an ATV, slept in a lot, read novels on the beach, and frolicked in the glorious sunshine and Agean Sea.  Despite the fact that Greek cuisine is absolutely delicious, my travel partner and I actually skipped a lot of meals to happily prioritize the aforementioned.  But on one of the few days we totally over-ate, we tried this traditional Greek dish that we saw everyone ordering at the restaurant – Argo – we’d been recommended to try during our exploration of Fira.

 It was Prawn Saganaki.

The name totally sounds like a Japanese cartoon that features a ninja shrimp as the main protagonist, amiright?  In any case, we became pretty obsessed.  And after the first bite, as expected, my Huckleberry mind was already picking apart how I could create this Greek magic wizardry.  Like, was it only good because we were deluded from drunk-on-vacation vibes with no expectations?

Prawn Saganaki

Spoiler:

It’s completely brilliant in real, non-vacation, life too!

Prawns with Heads

Huckleberry Kim’s Prawn Saganaki

Serves 3ish.

Ingredients:

Please note: I’m one of those people who cooks by feelies and to taste (and doesn’t usually measure things much); so most of the following measurements are estimates based upon how much I think I used.  Next time I make this dish, I might update this – but the following should be close! 

  • 6 large full-bodied prawns, and by that I mean with heads intact to their tails!

↑ The heads/bodies are super important for a truly prawny base – learnt from my time in Barcelona learning how to make paella ↑ ).

  • 6 medium-large shrimps

↑ Honestly, I think the supplemental shrimp can be of any size you’d like. I like to play with the juxtaposition of textures and things in meals because I’m a mad scientist, but you do you, Babe.  )

  • 3 cloves of garlic – minced
  • Half of an onion – chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 4 tomatoes – chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
  • 1 cup of Greek feta
  • 3 tablespoons of honey
  • 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • A dash of cayenne pepper (optional, but do it like Guy Fieri would)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parsley – chopped (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

  1. Heat up a skillet on medium-heat with your EVOO and add the chopped onions – cook until softened
  2. Add coconut oil and garlic – cook all until nicely browned
  3. *IMPORTANT: Peel the tails of the large prawns and squeeze their heads over the pan (some weird prawn brains will ooze into the pan) – reserve the prawns – still intact – for later
  4. Add tomatoes and optional tomato paste
  5. Cook down for 10-15 minutes – or until the garlic, onions, and tomatoes embrace each other like best friends
  6.  Add the large prawns and cook until less translucent – maybe 3 minutes
  7. Add the other shrimps
  8. Add in the honey, sugar, and cayenne – stir well
  9. Very gradually add in the feta while keeping the Saganaki moving around the pan – it will slowly melt to combine with the other ingredients #bffs
  10. Add salt and pepper to taste
  11. Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley 🙂

Served with some toasted brioche for mopping up all the goodness; though this would pair well with anything! I might try doing a pasta next time. Let me know what you think!

Have you ever made a dish you tried for the first time on a trip?  How did it work out?!

xo,

Huckleberry Kim

S O N G  O F  T H E  M O M E N T

Tiny Huck

2 Comments

  1. I followed the recipe and I can’t thank you enough! I am all satisfied with the end result! it is just the same!

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