Saganaki is a dish of spring and of late summer: prawns in a spicy broth that ask for bread or for a pasta beside them. Here it is built on three bases — tomato bisque, feta gnocchi and feta cream — brought together at the last moment.
The three bases can be prepared ahead and keep for two days in the fridge, so plating takes five minutes and the kitchen never loses its rhythm.
Ingredients
- 011 kg prawn shells and heads, for the bisque
- 021 onion, finely chopped
- 031 carrot, finely chopped
- 042 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 052 tbsp tomato paste
- 06150 ml white wine
- 07400 g grated tomato
- 082 bay leaves
- 091 tsp sweet paprika
- 101 litre water
- 11200 g feta, grated very finely
- 12100 g strained ricotta
- 131 egg yolk
- 1480–100 g flour
- 15Zest of 1 lemon
- 16150 g feta, for the cream
- 17100 ml double cream
- 1812 prawns, peeled with the tail left on
- 19Fresh herbs: parsley and chives, finely chopped
- 20Olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper
Method
- 01Sweat the prawn shells and heads in olive oil for 4–5 minutes, until they colour and smell intensely.
- 02Add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and paprika and cook for 1 minute more.
- 03Deglaze with the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the grated tomato and bay leaves, cover with the water and simmer for 25 minutes.
- 04Blitz the bisque and strain it twice through a fine sieve. Reduce over medium heat until glossy, and season with salt at the end.
- 05For the gnocchi, beat the feta with the ricotta, the yolk and the lemon zest, then add the flour little by little until the mix holds its shape without sticking. Roll small ovals and poach them in lightly salted water; as soon as they float, lift them out with a slotted spoon.
- 06For the feta cream, warm the cream, lower the heat and melt the feta into it. Blitz until silky, strain and keep it in the fridge.
- 07Warm the bisque in a shallow pan. Sear the prawns in hot olive oil for 1 minute per side, then add them to the bisque and glaze them.
- 08Serve with the feta gnocchi, the feta cream piped in small dots and the fresh herbs.
The bisque needs patience: the slower it simmers, the cleaner the flavour. As a starter, four prawns are enough.
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