Recipes › Greek-Style Prawn and Fennel Bake
dinner
Greek-Style Prawn and Fennel Bake
Raw prawns are baked with fennel, tomatoes, olives, and feta in a garlic and lemon olive oil base. The dish is finished with fresh parsley and served from the baking dish.
Why this recipe works
Prawns deliver protein, which builds and repairs tissue and contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. Feta is a source of calcium, which is necessary for normal bone and teeth structure; during perimenopause and menopause the body loses bone faster than at any other adult stage, and the recommended daily intake rises by nearly a third from the early fifties. The parsley, lemon and tomatoes supply vitamin C, which contributes to normal immune system function and supports the normal formation of collagen (the protein that gives skin, bones and joints their structure). Kalamata olives and parsley also provide non-haem iron (the kind found in plant foods), which is necessary for normal oxygen transport, and the vitamin C in this dish helps the body absorb that iron.
Ingredients
- 700g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined, fresh or frozen and thawed overnight in the fridge
- 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced into thin wedges, fronds reserved
- 400g tinned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand; ingredients must be tomatoes only
- 120g kalamata olives, pitted
- 180g feta cheese, crumbled; choose a block feta without preservatives
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- a handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to finish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Drizzle 30ml of the olive oil into a large, deep baking dish (roughly 30cm x 25cm).
- Arrange the fennel wedges in a single layer in the baking dish. Scatter over the sliced garlic. Drizzle with the remaining 30ml of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes until the fennel begins to soften and take on some colour at the edges.
- Remove the dish from the oven. Pour the crushed tinned tomatoes over the fennel and stir gently to combine. Scatter in the kalamata olives. Return to the oven for a further 8 minutes.
- While the tomato base finishes, pat the prawns dry with paper towel and toss them with the lemon zest, dried oregano, a pinch of salt, and a grind of black pepper.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and nestle the seasoned prawns into the tomato and fennel mixture in a single layer. Crumble the feta evenly over the top. Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the prawns are just cooked through and the feta has softened and taken on a little colour.
- Remove from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice over the dish. Scatter the chopped parsley and reserved fennel fronds over the top. Serve directly from the baking dish with crusty sourdough or cooked brown rice to catch the juices.
Batch cooking tip
- Pre-roast the fennel and tomato base up to two days ahead and refrigerate it in the baking dish covered. When ready to serve, bring the base back to temperature in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes, then add the raw seasoned prawns and feta and bake as directed. This keeps the prawns from overcooking when reheating. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently rather than at high heat.
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