Spanish · Starter · Easy
Gambas al Ajillo
Plump prawns sizzled in olive oil with sliced garlic, dried chilli, and a splash of sherry, served bubbling in a clay dish. Bring bread, because the garlic oil is half the point.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Gambas al Ajillo, in 5 ideas
- Do not let the garlic brown or it turns bitter; pale gold is the target.
- Cooking and serving in the same hot dish keeps everything sizzling at the table.
- Prawns go from perfect to rubbery fast, so pull them the moment they turn opaque.
- The bread for mopping the oil is not optional in Spanish tradition.
- Frozen prawns work fine; thaw them fully and dry them well first.
What you need
Ingredients
- 400g large raw prawns, peeled and deveined
- 150ml extra virgin olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 60ml dry sherry
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
- Crusty bread, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Pat the prawns very dry with paper towels and season them with the flaky salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a large terracotta cazuela or heavy skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic slices and chilli flakes and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until the garlic is pale gold but not brown.
- Raise the heat to high, add the prawns in a single layer, and cook 2 minutes until they start to curl and turn pink.
- Flip the prawns, pour in the sherry, and cook 1 more minute until the sauce is bubbling and the prawns are opaque.
- Scatter over the parsley and serve immediately in the hot dish with plenty of crusty bread.
Buy shell-on prawns when they are cheaper, peel them yourself, and freeze the shells for an easy homemade prawn stock later.