Recipe Overview
Georgina Hayden’s prawn and feta saganaki salad takes the beloved Greek meze dish and turns it into a robust, summery salad. The recipe features charred garlicky prawns, ripe tomatoes, baby spinach, and ciabatta, all finished with crumbled feta. It serves four and takes 35 minutes from prep to plate.
Ingredients and Preparation
To make the salad, you’ll need: 2 shallots, finely sliced; 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar; sea salt and black pepper; 600g tomatoes (cherry tomatoes halved, larger ones chopped); 80g baby spinach, roughly chopped; 75g stale ciabatta; olive oil; 400g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined; 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika; 1½ tsp dried oregano; 2 garlic cloves, finely grated; and 200g feta.
Start by placing the sliced shallots in a large bowl with the vinegar and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Then toss the tomatoes and spinach through the lightly pickled onions, tear in the stale ciabatta in bite-sized pieces, add four tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well. Set aside.
Cooking the Prawns
In a small bowl, combine the prawns with paprika, one teaspoon of oregano, and the grated garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, season, and stir. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add three tablespoons of olive oil. Add the prawns in a single layer and fry for three to four minutes without moving them, until they turn pink and golden. Flip and cook for another one to two minutes.
Once cooked, spoon the prawns over the salad along with any pan juices. Crumble the feta on top and sprinkle with the remaining dried oregano. Serve immediately.
Tips and Variations
According to Hayden, this dish is a celebration of tomatoes and works well with any variety. The panzanella-style salad absorbs the flavours beautifully. For a vegetarian version, replace prawns with chickpeas or halloumi.
