Spanish garlic shrimp (Gambas al ajillo)
The Story
Call me Forest Gump because I love shrimp. Whether they’re fried, boiled, steamed, coated in coconut, tempura-battered, stir-fried with peppers and onions, smothered in gravy, and served over rice…I love them all. But I can’t lie. I do, indeed, have a favorite preparation. Maybe it’s because I’ve known this dish for a long time having had it when I was around 9 years old when I went to Spain for the first time. Or maybe it’s due to my just around 13 years living in Barcelona, I have a soft spot for the classic tapa “gambas al ajillo” also known as garlic shrimp (or Spanish garlic shrimp to give the dish a better sense of place).
The origins of the dish are unknown, but it’s believed that it burst onto the scene in tapas joints throughout Southern Spain where shrimp are abundant due to the large coastline. But it has also been a staple throughout central Spain, principally in Madrid, where it’s been delivered to tables in clay pots bubbling hot for years. However, at this point, the dish can be found all across the country. Take Paco Meralgo, one of my favorite classic tapas bars in Barcelona. Their version is very classic, but instead of the traditional smaller headless white shrimp, they use head-on, pink, juicy shrimp from the Palamós region.
Regardless of the variety you use, this dish is all about the crustacean flavor leaching into a ton of olive oil and garlic you sop up with crusty bread after you’ve devoured all the shrimp. If you can find head-on shrimp, I recommend trying them, even if you’re not used to it because it truly bumps up that shrimpy flavor.
So, if you love shrimp like me and you can’t get enough garlic and olive oil, this dish is perfect for you. Plus, it takes minimal prep time and comes together in the pan in less than 10 minutes so it’s great for weeknight meals. But it’s impressive enough (I mean just the name gambas al ajillo immediately transports you to Spanish cobblestone streets, no??) that you could even serve it for a dinner party. If you’re looking for a side dish to serve it with, you can double down on the garlic and try out my zucchini with garlic crispies. If you’re lucky enough to have any Spanish garlic shrimp leftover, throw them into my brown rice bowl with vegetables and a fried egg.
Difficulty: 1 on a scale of 1-5
Active time to prepare: 15 - 20 minutes
Total time to prepare: 15 - 20 minutes
Serves: 4
The Ingredients
For the Spanish garlic shrimp (gambas al ajillo):
2 pounds/900 g shrimp, cleaned and deveined
15 large garlic cloves sliced
1 cup/216 g good quality olive oil
1 small dried chili pepper chopped OR a pinch of dried red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
A handful of chopped parsley (optional)
For the assembly:
Crusty bread
The Recipe
For the shrimp:
In a large, heavy bottom skillet. Heat up the olive oil over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot (but not smoking or you’ll burn the garlic) add the sliced garlic cloves. Saute until they start to toast (2 - 3 minutes approx.)
Place the shrimp in a bowl and aggressively season with salt.
Turn the heat up to high and add the shrimp in a single layer. Sprinkle with chopped dried chili/red chili flakes.
*NOTE: if you can’t fit the shrimp in one layer, you’ll have to do this in two batches. In this case, use half of the oil and garlic for each batch.
Cook until they start to turn pink (1 minute approx.). Turn them over and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes until just barely cooked through.
*NOTE: the shrimp will continue to cook even after you serve them, so air on the side of slightly undercooked to avoid getting rubbery shrimp.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
For the assembly:
Serve alongside your favorite crusty bread.
LEFTOVERS: Any leftover Spanish garlic shrimp will keep in your refrigerator for 3 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the cooked shrimp; heating them back up will leave them overcooked.
