My Recipe: Gambas al Ajillo recipe

by: jsavimbi Gambas al Ajillo

Garlicky Shrimp ~~ This recipe is a favorite of mine from the years I lived in Spain. An extremely "typical" tapa or appetizer, Gambas al Ajillo is usually served for two to four people and is served in a terracotta dish when abundant oil is served alongside, or on a single plate when the shrimp are served drier. In addition to garlic, the dish's other ingredients are parsely and red pepper flakes or one red 'chile de arbol'. The dish is meant to be served as an appetizer and each serving should consist of six to eight medium-sized shrimp. Bread is a must, as there'll be plenty of tasty oil to sop up after the shrimp are gone. Even though the dish contains red chile, it is not meant to be overpoweringly spicy, just enough so that you can feel a little tingle in your mouth.

Created on : 18-08-2006

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Ingredients ( 2 )

12 - 16 Medium shrimp (41/50 count) ~ shelled, cleaned and deveined
2 cloves of garlic ~ minced
1 tablespoon of flat parsley ~ minced
1/4 tablespoon of red chile flakes or one whole red chile de arbol ~ crushed
Olive oil
Bread ~ prefferably french

Directions

Clean, shell and devein your shrimp. Some people like to butterfly their shrimp, but for this dish it is not required as the shrimp with be the main focus of the cooking effort and there'll be enough oil for the job. Shells, even tails, are NOT a part of this dish. Period.
Mince your garlic and parsley. Occasionally, one will see sliced or even whole garlic cloves in the dish. Traditionally, the garlic is minced to allow for a faster cooking time and flavor absortion into the oil. Serving this dish with whole garlic cloves is gauche.
Heat your oil on high in a small skillet. Even if you have a lot of people, this dish should be done in batches to preserve the flavor. The amount of olive oil, and olive oil only, that you use depends on wether or not you'll be serving this dish "wet" or "dry". You do not have to serve all of the remaining oil with the dish, but please use enough so that the garlic won't burn.
Once the oil is hot enough (if it's smokes, it's too hot) place the shrimp into the skillet. I'd use a long-handled slotted spoon for this as I hate getting burned. Cook one side first for about for about 30 seconds and then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Turn the shrimp over and cook the other side until the whole shrimp is bright pink.
Ensuring that the garlic does not trun dark brown and burn, remove all of the ingredients from the pan with your slotted spoon and place into a bowl. Pour a generous anount of the oil from the pan into the bowl, toss in the parsley and stir. Serve immediatley with bread and little forks. This is not a finger food.
Some people like to add the parsley at the end of the cooking process, some into the serving dish, others as a simple garnish and there are still people out there who eschew parsley. The choice is yours. This dish is best enoyed with cold beer, chilled white wine and friends.
ps: No Lemon.