Fantastic Prawn Orzo with Marinated Feta

Let me start off by saying that this marvellously flavourful recipe is Ottolenghi´s, not mine. I honestly make so many of his recipes (like this rice puttanesca) that I should add a tag on the blog for them. I’ve been meaning to cook with orzo (or risen, as Italians would call this pasta type) ever since I’ve seen it used over and over again in Mihai Gateste´s recipes, but I failed to find it in supermarkets. Until now…

Ingredients
(serves four)

200g feta
a tsp chilli flakes (I doubled this)
four tsp fennel seeds, toasted (Ottolenghi suggests to lightly crush them but I actually like them whole)
75ml olive oil
250g orzo
three garlic cloves
three strips of finely shaved orange skin
a 400g can of chopped tomatoes
500ml vegetable stock
600g cooked prawns (Ottolenghi makes it with raw prawns, I like to save time by buying them cooked already)*
30g basil leaves
salt and black pepper

*after deshelling the prawns you’ll be left with roughly 400g of prawns

Instructions

1. Use a medium bowl to crumble the feta in bite sized bits and mix with half a teaspoon of the chilli flakes, two teaspoons of the fennel seeds and one or two tablespoons of the oil (depending on how dry your feta is). Set aside and let marinate while you cook your pasta. 

2. In a large pan or pot for which you have a cover add two tablespoons of oil, the orzo, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper. Fry while stirring until golden-brown, then remove from the pan and set aside. (This might sound counterintuitive and closer to how you would prepare some rice dishes, but please trust the process).

3. Using the same pan or pot, return it to the heat, adding two tablespoons of the olive oil, the remaining half a teaspoon of chilli flakes, two teaspoons of toasted fennel seeds, the three garlic cloves crushed and the orange skins. Fry for about one minute and then add the can of tomatoes, the vegetable stock + another 200 ml of water, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper.

4. After about three minutes, or once this is boiling, add the orzo and cover your pot, leaving to simmer for about 15 minutes (stir mid through to not burn it). By now the consistency of it should be very creamy, risotto like. Remove the lid, add your basil leaves and the prawns and cook for another five minutes. 

5. Serve with the feta sprinkled on top and with a glass of white wine.