Gambas al Ajillo

Method

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1. Pat the prawns completely dry and season them with half the salt.

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2. Put the olive oil, sliced garlic and crumbled chillies in a cold cazuela or heavy frying pan.

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3. Set over medium-low heat and let it come up slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the garlic turns pale gold and the oil smells intensely of it. Do not let it brown.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

4. Raise the heat to high. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for 90 seconds without moving them.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

5. Turn them and add the paprika and sherry. Cook 60 to 90 seconds more, until the prawns have just turned opaque and curled into a loose C shape.

   Mark done Start 60 sec timer

6. Take off the heat immediately, season with the remaining salt and scatter with parsley.

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7. Serve bubbling in the pan with bread and lemon.

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Chef’s Tips

• A prawn curled into a tight O is overcooked; a loose C is perfect.
• The oil is the point. Use enough of it and use the best you have.
• An earthenware cazuela holds heat and keeps the dish sizzling at the table, but any heavy pan works.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cold fino sherry or an Albariño
• Serve with bread, and other tapas alongside
• Follow with tortilla española

Storage & Reheating

Eat immediately. Cooked prawns keep 1 day but reheating makes them rubbery — eat them cold in a salad instead.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.