Gambas al Ajillo
Few dishes deliver as much pleasure for as little effort as gambas al ajillo. Shrimp poach gently in olive oil thick with sliced garlic and a whisper of chile, and the oil itself becomes the prize. Bring it to the table still bubbling, with plenty of bread for the bottom of the pan.
Ingredients
- 500g large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 120ml olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 dried guindilla or arbol chile, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- A small handful of parsley, chopped
- Crusty bread, to serve
- Sea salt, to taste
Method
- Pat the shrimp dry and season lightly with salt.
- Warm the olive oil with the garlic and crumbled chile in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Let the garlic turn pale gold and perfume the oil, about three minutes; do not let it brown.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, add the shrimp, and cook until they curl and turn pink, about two minutes per side.
- Stir in the paprika and sherry and let it bubble for thirty seconds.
- Pull off the heat, scatter with parsley, and carry the pan straight to the table with bread alongside.