Gambas al Ajillo
Plump shrimp sizzling in a pool of garlic-infused olive oil with dried chilli and a splash of Spanish sherry — brought to the table still bubbling in the clay pot, with crusty bread for the most important part: the oil.
- 1 lblarge shrimp(peeled and deveined, tails on)
- 1/2 cupolive oil(good quality Spanish)
- 8 clovesgarlic(thinly sliced)
- 2 wholedried guindilla peppers(or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 tspsweet paprika
- 2 tbspdry sherry
- 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)
- 1/2 tspkosher salt
- 1 loafcrusty bread(for serving)
Must be served immediately - this dish does not hold or reheat well.
- 1Pat shrimp very dry and season with salt
- 2Heat olive oil in a large skillet or cazuela over medium heat
- 3Add garlic and dried peppers, cook until garlic is just golden, about 1 minute
- 4Increase heat to high, add shrimp in a single layer
- 5Cook shrimp 1-2 minutes per side until just pink
- 6Add paprika and sherry, let bubble for 30 seconds
- 7Remove from heat, scatter with parsley
- 8Serve immediately in the hot pan with crusty bread for dipping
Use a traditional clay cazuela if you have one - it retains heat beautifully. Don't skimp on the garlic or the olive oil.
Gambas al ajillo is one of Spain's most enduring tapas dishes, rooted in the culinary traditions of Andalusia, the sun-drenched southern region whose coastline provides an abundance of fresh shrimp. The name is straightforward: gambas is Spanish for shrimp and ajillo means garlic. The dish is believed to have its foundations in the 16th century, when garlic became a defining ingredient in Spanish cooking — an influence that owes much to the Moors, who occupied southern Spain for nearly eight centuries until 1492 and left an indelible mark on Andalusian cuisine, particularly in the use of garlic, olive oil, and spices. Tapas culture itself — the tradition of small shared plates served alongside drinks — is linked in Spanish legend to King Alfonso X of Castile, who reportedly decreed that wine could not be served in taverns without an accompanying bite of food. Whether legend or history, the tapas tradition was already deeply embedded in southern Spanish life by the time gambas al ajillo took its modern form. Andalusia is typically credited as the dish's birthplace, with Madrid's tapas bars carrying it to national prominence during the 20th century. The defining presentation — shrimp cooked fast and furiously in a small clay cazuela, brought to the table while the olive oil is still hissing and spitting — is essential to the experience. The oil, infused with golden garlic and dried chilli, is not a byproduct but the point: crusty bread for mopping it up is not optional.