Prawn Saganaki

Heat olive oil in a 25–30 cm oven-safe skillet (preferably cast-iron or a ceramic saganaki dish) over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and chili flakes, stir 30 seconds. Add ouzo — it will flame dramatically if using a gas burner; tilt the pan away from you and let the flames die naturally (about 10 seconds). Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes and their juices, add oregano and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and darkened slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Nestle the prawns into the bubbling tomato sauce in a single layer, pressing them down gently. Scatter the crumbled feta over and around the prawns in large, irregular chunks — do not crumble it too finely, you want visible pieces that remain distinct when baked. The feta should cover perhaps 60% of the surface, leaving gaps of tomato visible.

Bake at 220°C (425°F) on the top rack for 8–10 minutes. The prawns will turn from grey to pink-orange, the feta will soften but not melt (it holds its shape unlike most cheeses), and the exposed sauce around the edges will bubble and concentrate, possibly catching color on the pan rim. The feta's surface may pick up a touch of golden color.

Bring the pan straight from the oven to the table — saganaki is a tableside experience and must be eaten from the pan while it is still bubbling. Scatter fresh parsley generously over the top. Serve with hunks of crusty bread for dragging through the sauce. To eat shell-on prawns: twist off the head (suck it — the inside is extraordinary), peel the body shell, eat.