Gambas al ajillo

Name: Gambas al ajillo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 21 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 400 g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined; 0.5 tsp salt; 120 ml extra virgin olive oil; 6 clove garlic, thinly sliced; 2 small dried red chilies, broken in half; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 200 g crusty bread, to serve

21 min
Prep 15 min
Cook 6 min
Serves 4
easy

Start cooking

Raw prawns cooked quickly in sizzling olive oil with plenty of sliced garlic and dried chili, finished with parsley and served with bread for dipping.

Method

1
Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper and season them with the salt.
2
Put the oil, garlic and chilies in a wide shallow pan over medium-low heat.
3
Heat gently until the garlic sizzles and turns pale gold at the edges.
4
Turn the heat up to high and add the prawns in a single layer.
5
Cook, turning once, until the prawns are pink and just curled.
6
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
7
Serve at once, still sizzling in the pan, with bread for mopping up the oil.

Notes

The prawns are done when opaque all the way through and curled into a loose C. A tight O means they are overcooked.
Some cooks add a splash of dry sherry or brandy with the prawns for extra depth.

Equipment

Wide shallow pan or terracotta dish, Wooden spoon

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