Gambas al Ajillo — Print Recipe

Plump prawns sizzling in a bath of olive oil infused with sliced garlic and a whisper of guindilla chili, served bubbling furiously in a terra cotta cazuela. The intoxicating garlic-scented oil is just as important as the prawns, demanding to be soaked up with crusty bread down to the last drop.

Ingredients

500g large prawns, peeled and deveined (tails on)
120ml extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 dried guindilla peppers (or 1 small red chili)
2 tablespoons dry sherry (fino)
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Flaky sea salt
Crusty bread for serving

Instructions

1 Pat the prawns completely dry with paper towels and season with salt and smoked paprika. Dry prawns are essential for a proper sizzle rather than a steam.
2 Heat the olive oil in a terra cotta cazuela or small heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and dried chili, cooking slowly for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is just turning golden at the edges. Watch carefully as garlic burns in seconds.
3 Increase heat to high and add the prawns in a single layer. They should sizzle aggressively the moment they hit the oil. Cook for 1 minute without moving them.
4 Flip the prawns, add the dry sherry (it will bubble dramatically), and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the prawns are just pink and curled. Do not overcook.
5 Remove from heat immediately. The residual heat in the cazuela will continue cooking the prawns and the oil will still be bubbling when it reaches the table.
6 Scatter with chopped parsley and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately in the hot cazuela with plenty of crusty bread for dipping into the garlic-infused oil. The bread-soaking is not optional.

Did You Know?

Gambas al ajillo is the single most ordered tapa in all of Spain. The dish must arrive at the table still sizzling and bubbling in the cazuela. If it arrives quiet, something has gone very wrong, and a true Spaniard would send it back.