Prawns with Ouzo, Orzo and Courgette

This dish is delicate and velvety and it’s perfect in the summer when the courgettes are at their best. Make sure you get fresh prawns for this and their size is irrelevant as long as they are so fresh that they are almost still alive. Pick small tender and firm courgettes and if they happen to have flowers attached to them then add these too.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

400g (14oz) fresh prawns,peeled, shells reserved

FOR THE PRAWN STOCK

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped

1 celery stick, roughly chopped

1 red pepper, roughly chopped

1 white onion, roughly chopped

3 bay leaves

A pinch of saffron

200ml (7fl oz) white wine

50ml (2fl oz) brandy

1 tbsp good-quality butter

200g (7oz) orzo pasta

3 pale green courgettes, very thinly sliced

500g (1lb 2oz) cherry tomatoes,quartered

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp crushed fennel seeds

20ml (4 tsp) Greek ouzo

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

1 handful of mint leaves

This dish is delicate and velvety and it’s perfect in the summer when the courgettes are at their best. Make sure you get fresh prawns for this and their size is irrelevant as long as they are so fresh that they are almost still alive. Pick small tender and firm courgettes and if they happen to have flowers attached to them then add these too.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.

Place the prawn shells on a baking tray and dry out in the oven for about 20–30 minutes. This really helps to concentrate and increase the flavour of the shells.

Heat the oil in a pan and add all the stock ingredients. Toss around and cook gently for 10 minutes with no water. You want to caramelize and sweeten the vegetables. Add the prawn shells to the pan and cover with water. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the stock to rest for a while before passing it through a sieve and reserving the liquid.

Heat the butter in a pan and add the orzo. Stir gently for a couple of minutes until it’s all shiny and coated in the butter. Add half the courgettes and all the tomatoes together with the oil and fennel seeds. Increase the heat and start adding the prawn stock in batches – you may not need to use all of it.  The orzo will take about 15 minutes to cook. Just before it’s ready, add the remaining courgettes, ouzo and lemon and orange zest. Finally add the prawns and check the seasoning. Cook until the prawns turn pink. You want this dish to be loose and juicy – a bit like a risotto. Serve with the fresh mint scattered over the top.

If you have any prawn stock left over, freeze it to use another time.

This recipe is from Aegean: Recipes from The Mountains to the Sea by Marianna Leivaditaki. For more like this, check out this

Tsar’s surf & turf recipe from Mamushka by Olia Hercules