Gambas al Ajillo - Garlic Shrimp Tapas

A classic Spanish tapa. I first encountered this in Palma de Mallorca, Spain about a million years ago. (seems like it anyway) Traditionally it is served in cazuelas which are a type of terra cotta dish and they sizzle at you while you devour them. Perfect as an appetizer but they are very, very good served as a main entree also. As an appy I usually leave just the tails on them to give the fingers something to hold on to but they are a little more elegant served skinless. The sauce is heavenly and just begs to be soaked up with a good crusty bread. I often double the sauce just to have more to sop up.

Step 1 Ingredients

Here we have the basic ingredients for this masterpiece of culinary delight.

Shrimp 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, fresh or thawed
one jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of butter (don't skimp, you can taste the difference)
6 to 8 cloves of garlic (or more!)
4 or 5 mushrooms or 8 oz sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh if possible)
1 teaspoon paprika
parsley
salt
pepper

Comments

[FlatLinerMEDIC]

Alright making these tonight for a tapa..ill let yew know how it turns out...im not even going to measure the garlic lol it will be garlic with a side of shrimp

[FlatLinerMEDIC]

yum when I have camarones de ajo theyre red i cant wait to try them this way..the spanish way

[Notherjack]

I could eat these all day! You can change the heat as much as you want. Let me know how you like it.

[CementTruck]

I LOVE Gambas al Ajillo, In fact we had it Friday night (Lent = fish on Fridays).

I have never used Jalapenos in this dish, I normally use pepper flakes. They add heat without changing the flavor. I also add some good Spanish smoked Paprika. It elevates this dish to a level previously thought unattainable. We discovered this purely by accident one day and have not looked back since. Give it a shot.

Salud!

[Notherjack]

I know I've looked for the Spanish smoked paprika and have not found it yet. I read somewhere that it was better. The jalapenos do add a little flavor and I like it a little better as I've tried it both ways. Thanks.