Shrimp or Prawn Saganaki with Feta & Orzo

Hello! I hope you are doing well and enjoying our recipes so far. Did you happen to check out our Mediterranean Summer Series? Now that we are officially in fall, I have a super delicious classic Greek dish for you to try!

Since we are almost in October… KALO MINA!

I hope this new month brings you so much joy, good health, happiness, and many beautiful moments with the people you love. May October be a wonderful month for all of us!

This recipe originally came from my second cookbook, A Drop of Ladi & My Greek Soul, but I decided it was time for an update. I added a few new ingredients, changed a few things, and gave the recipe a little refresh. Check it out below, and I truly hope you give it a try!

What did I use to make this recipe really pop?

Of course, I reached for a Greek extra virgin olive oil.

Speaking of olive oil, do you know what percentage of Greece’s land is covered by olive trees? Read on for the answer at the end of this post!

Meet LATHEE Extra Virgin Olive Oil

LATHEE is a new Arizona-based extra virgin olive oil brand that was born in Kalamata, Greece. They sent me their beautiful bottle almost a month ago, right in the middle of our Mediterranean Summer Series.

I was immediately fascinated because, as you guys know, I absolutely LOVE Greek olive oil. I mean, we could go back years and years of me talking about the first olive oil companies that sent me their beautiful oils, but we’ll save that story for another post.

So, why is LATHEE worth trying? Let’s go back to their story and how it all began.

After Avgi, the co-founder of LATHEE, and her husband, Mike, got married in Kalamata, they had an idea: to create their own olive oil business and share a little piece of Greece with others.

Avgi sent me her story through a voice clip, and I wanted to share her words here as well:

“My uncle’s family has been producing olive oil for generations. LATHEE or “LADI”  means oil in Greek, but to us, it represents much more than that. It allows us to connect back to our roots, and in America, it allows us to share our Greek culture with non-Greeks. At the end of the day, LATHEE is sharing a bit of Greece.”

Thank you for sharing your story with me, Avgi!

LATHEE + Shrimp Saganaki

We decided to use LATHEE extra virgin olive oil in our Shrimp Saganaki, and it worked beautifully in this recipe!

Talk about one of the best dishes we’ve made so far.

Even though you can find the original version of this recipe in my second cookbook, A Drop of Ladi & My Greek Soul, I decided to update it for the blog. So, please keep that in mind if you are comparing the recipe in the cookbook with the one you’ll find here.

Recipe update: I added and changed a few ingredients, and I also changed the first step of the method. Instead of adding everything later, I now begin by sautéing the onions, leeks, garlic, and peppers first. This gives the base of the dish even more flavor.

You’ll find this updated version in our next cookbook as well, so stay tuned! 🇬🇷

Now, let’s get cooking!

Prawns (Shrimp) Saganaki with Feta & Orzo Recipe

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 30 prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 leek, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
• 1/3 cup ouzo or raki (see notes)
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons of honey (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon of fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper
• 2 cups of orzo or rice
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 cup of feta, crumbled
• Juice from 1 lemon and zest
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

1.  Prepare the prawns by cleaning and washing under cold water. Do not forget to devein them! I swear I had to do this job in Skiathos over and over again, but I appreciate that because I never leave one shrimp or prawn not deveined.
2. In a lare pan on medium heat, add 1/4 cup of olive oil. In this case we are using Lathee’s oil which can be purchased here.
3. Add the onion, leeks, garlic, and peppers to the pan and saute until peppers and onions are soft.  Then add in the shrimp or prawns and cook until they turn a light pink color. Set the mixture aside on a large plate.
4. In the same pan, use the rest of the oil and add the ouzo, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and honey.  Add the dill, oregano, paprika, cayenne, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Simmer mixture for about 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the orzo to the pan and add the 4 cups of vegetable broth. Mix a little bit, and cook covered over low heat. I cook my orzo al dente so I normally cook it for 8 minutes. Stir the mixture a few times so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Once the orzo is al dente, add about 1/3 cup of water or more if you need to. Taste to see if your sauce needs more seasoning. Add the prawns or shrimp back to the pan, and then add crumbled feta cheese or cubes over the top. Place pan with foil around the handle of the pot, and cook under broiler for a few minutes. This is to melt the cheese, remove from the oven and serve with fresh lemon juice and fresh parsley or oregano.

Notes:

• • You can use orzo or rice, but we always prefer orzo! It works beautifully with the sauce.
  • I also like to add a little fresh lemon juice directly to the tomato sauce. The recipe above calls for lemon juice when serving, but feel free to add some to the sauce as well.
  • You can replace the can of diced tomatoes with freshly diced tomatoes.
  • If you feel the dish needs more liquid while cooking, simply add a little more water or stock.
  • I find that a touch of honey really balances the flavors of this dish, especially with the tomatoes and lemon.
  • You can use any color of bell pepper you like, but I especially love red bell pepper in this recipe.
  • Don’t skip the leeks! Adding leeks gives this dish an extra layer of flavor and really makes it pop.
  • We used ouzo or raki in our dishes many times. I find that both work really well.
  • And don’t forget to check out LATHEE and learn more about their Greek olive oil story!

  • And the answer is… 60 percent! Approximately 60% of Greece’s cultivated land is covered by olive trees, which is one of the many reasons olive oil is such an important part of Greek food, culture, and everyday life.

We do hope you enjoyed this recipe, featured Greek olive oil, and the post!