One of my favorite memories of my trip to Santorini, Greece includes eating Shrimp Saganaki Santorini Style while sailing on a beautiful catamaran. Obviously, who wouldn’t love being in the Greek islands, Oia to be exact, during sunset? But having a deliciously flavorful dish that is healthy while in a lovely setting is absolutely perfect! Sweet and savory, the ingredients are readily available and the process to make it is super simple. I promise this will be a recipe you will want to save. This simple dish is easy to make and is the perfect light weeknight dinner, or a lovely tapas for friends. (Skip to the recipe Shrimp Saganaki.)
Sailing in Greece Santorini Style
Last summer, my Sweetheart and I had booked a five hour sailing cruise on a beautiful Lagoon 450 around Oia. On this tour you can swim and snorkel at my favorite beach in the area, Red Beach, cruise by all the best views, have a delicious open air dinner and then jump into the hot springs, all before returning to Oia for the evening. A remarkable event and I encourage you to do it if you ever make it to that side of the planet! One highlight for me, a Mediterranean Diet foodie, was watching the crew prepare our scrumptious meal.
Coming from Key West, I have been on my fair-share of sunset cruises. Usually the menu includes Charcuterie fair such as cheese and crackers, maybe some sandwiches with the crusts cut off and fruit (if I am lucky). While the website for Sunset Oia said dinner, I was not expecting it would actually qualify as dinner. The meal on this cruise is every bit as delicious as any of the many restaurants in Santorini. Even better is watching the crew pull it all together effortlessly while taking care of 14 passengers – a thrilling experience for a Mediterranean Diet foodie like me.
Haris’ Shrimp Saganaki
Haris, the only female member of the crew, generously shared her Shrimp Saganaki recipe with me. She grew up in Santorini, Greece and this was her Mother’s way of preparing it. Really this recipe should be called Haris’ Shrimp Saganaki. How lucky for me that she spoke some English and seemed to like to serve as my tutor. As we were walking off the boat, she handed me this little sheet and I learned her written English was even better than her speaking and listening skills!
What is Saganaki?
In the United States, when we think of saganaki we often think of flambéed in alcohol. But in Greece, that is not the case. It typically means pan fried and it is often cheese or a dish served with cheese. In Greektown Chicago, the Parthenon restaurant made saganaki famous in the late sixties by creating the Flaming Saganaki. Flambéing adds a step to dish by dousing in alcohol and then flambéing the dish, often cheese, at the table. The flame is then extinguished by squirting fresh lemon over it. In Greece, you may see some flambéing, but using that technique for saganaki did not originate in Greece. If used, it is typically in touristy areas. Haris’ Shrimp Saganaki Santorini Style was not served flaming and was fried in white wine rather than ouzo or liquor.
A simple dish, Shrimp Saganaki Santorini Style is perfect all year round. It is served warm from the pan making it perfect in the colder months. Shrimp, a light protein, with just veggies makes perfect for warm weather (want to try other Olive Sunshine Shrimp recipes?). Any time I make Haris’ Shrimp Saganaki it brings me back to sailing on a catamaran in Greece! I am not sure it is an experience I will ever get to have again (as my Sweetheart thinks Italy is the only country in the Mediterranean), but it will forever remain a best ever-day.
