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Gambas al Ajillo – Garlic Prawns

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This is exactly the sort of recipe that reminds me that a short ingredient list doesn’t necessarily mean there’s nothing to think about.

Gambas al Ajillo is basically prawns, olive oil, garlic and chilli. There isn’t a complicated marinade or sauce hiding behind it. Most of the flavour comes from getting those few ingredients right.

The garlic is the part I pay the most attention to. I want it gently sizzling in the olive oil long enough to flavour the oil and turn lightly golden, but not so dark that it becomes bitter. The prawns then go in for only a couple of minutes, just long enough to cook through while staying juicy.

I’ve added parsley and a little lemon at the end, but otherwise I want to keep this simple.

And the olive oil left in the dish isn’t something to drain away. Once it’s picked up the garlic, chilli and prawn juices, it’s arguably one of the best parts.

That’s what the bread is for.

Gambas al Ajillo – Garlic Prawns

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Gambas al Ajillo is a classic Spanish tapas dish built from remarkably few ingredients: prawns, olive oil, garlic and chilli. The trick is controlling the heat. The garlic needs enough time to flavour the olive oil and become lightly golden without burning, while the prawns need only a very short cook so they stay juicy.

Ingredients

  • Garlic Prawns
  • 500 g raw prawns peeled and deveined
  • 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1 fresh red chilli thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp dried chilli flakes optional
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika optional
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Black pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • 1 –2 tsp lemon juice
  • To Serve
  • Crusty bread
  • Lemon wedges
  • Extra parsley

Method

  1. Prepare the prawns
  2. If the prawns are wet, pat them thoroughly dry with paper towel.
  3. This is particularly important if you’re using thawed frozen prawns.
  4. Excess water cools the oil and encourages the prawns to release liquid rather than cook quickly.
  5. Season lightly with salt.
  6. Prepare the garlic
  7. Thinly slice the garlic rather than mincing it.
  8. Six cloves might look like a lot, but garlic is one of the defining ingredients of the dish.
  9. Try to keep the slices reasonably even so you don’t end up with some pieces burning while others are still raw.
  10. Flavour the oil
  11. Add the olive oil and sliced garlic to a frying pan while it’s still relatively cool.
  12. Place over medium-low heat.
  13. Let the garlic gradually come up to temperature with the oil.
  14. Once it begins gently sizzling, add the fresh chilli and optional chilli flakes.
  15. Cook for around 2–3 minutes, stirring or swirling occasionally.
  16. The garlic should become fragrant and lightly golden, not dark brown.
  17. Add the paprika
  18. If using paprika, add it now and stir for only about 10 seconds.
  19. Don’t fry ground paprika aggressively in hot oil because it can burn and become bitter.
  20. The paprika is optional. I only want enough to add a little warmth and colour rather than turning this into another paprika-heavy prawn recipe.
  21. Increase the heat
  22. Increase to medium-high.
  23. Once the oil is properly hot, add the prawns in a single layer.
  24. They should immediately begin sizzling.
  25. Cook the prawns
  26. Cook for approximately 60–90 seconds on the first side.
  27. Turn and cook for another 45–60 seconds, depending on their size.
  28. The prawns should be opaque and just cooked through.
  29. Don’t keep cooking them because you’re waiting for the sauce to thicken.
  30. There isn’t really a conventional sauce here.
  31. The flavoured olive oil is the sauce.
  32. Finish
  33. Remove the pan from the heat.
  34. Add the parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
  35. Toss everything together.
  36. Taste the oil.
  37. Add the remaining lemon only if you think it needs more acidity, then adjust salt and black pepper.
  38. Serve immediately
  39. Transfer everything, including all of the garlic-chilli oil, into a warm shallow dish.
  40. Serve immediately with crusty bread and lemon wedges.
  41. Make sure everyone gets some of the garlic oil.
  42. That’s half the point of making it.

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About the Author

Gary
Creacipes started as a place to keep track of the recipes I actually want to cook again. These days, I rarely follow recipes exactly. Between cooking at home, experimenting with ingredients and running POP UP Dumpling Bar, I’ve learned to cook more by feel and adjust things to suit my own taste. If something turns out well, this is where I write it down.

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