About this recipe

A beloved Spanish tapas classic, gambas al ajillo delivers plump, succulent shrimp bathed in a fragrant, garlicky olive oil sauce with a gentle kick of dried chili and a splash of dry sherry. Ready in under 20 minutes, it's the kind of dish that begs for crusty bread to soak up every last drop of that golden, aromatic oil.

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on completely dry with paper towels and season evenly with the fine sea salt. Drying the large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on is key — it prevents steaming and helps them sear properly in the hot extra-virgin olive oil.

2. 2

   Pour the extra-virgin olive oil into a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pot and set over ^[medium-low heat]. Add the sliced garlic and crumbled dried guindilla or arbol chili peppers crumbled, seeds removed for less heat. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the garlic turns pale golden and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter.

3. 3

   Increase the heat to ^[medium-high]. Add the large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without moving them. Flip each large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on, sprinkle in the smoked paprika, and pour in the dry sherry. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on are just pink and curled and the dry sherry has reduced slightly. Remove from heat immediately — overcooked large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on turn rubbery.

4. 4

   Squeeze the lemon juice over the large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on and scatter the chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley on top. Taste and adjust fine sea salt if needed. Serve immediately in the pan (or transfer to a warm cazuela), with plenty of crusty baguette alongside to soak up the garlicky extra-virgin olive oil.