Recipes · Starters & salads
Gambas al Ajillo
AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested
Gambas al ajillo takes only minutes, but it works only if the shrimp go into the hot oil dry and are not overcooked: they are done as soon as they turn pink and opaque, and every minute beyond that makes them rubbery. The garlic oil is meant to be mopped up with bread.
This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) large shrimp raw, peeled and deveined; thaw frozen shrimp completely
- 6 clove garlic thinly sliced
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil extra-virgin
- 1 dried red chile whole or halved
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 0.5 bunch flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 baguette about 9 oz (250 g), cut into thick slices
- salt to taste
Method
- Rinse the shrimp under cold water, pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Slice the garlic thinly, chop the parsley and halve the chile.
- Cut the baguette into thick slices and set them out for mopping up the oil.
- Warm the olive oil with the garlic and chile in a wide skillet or earthenware dish over medium heat. After 2 to 3 minutes the garlic starts to foam and turns pale golden; it must not turn brown.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, until pink, firm and opaque all the way through.
- Take the pan off the heat, stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve immediately with the bread while the oil is still sizzling.
Tip: Wet shrimp spatter and poach in their own water instead of searing. Thaw frozen shrimp completely in the refrigerator and pat them very dry.
Tip: If the shrimp curl into a tight “O”, they are overcooked; a loose “C” is right. Raw shrimp must always be cooked all the way through.