Gambas al Ajillo is a classic Spanish dish whereby prawns are sautéed in olive oil infused with plenty of garlic and chilli and then dusted with paprika to finish off. This time I elevated this simple Spanish dish by utilising the most highly coveted prawns from the Mediterranean, the Gambas Rojas. Simple sophistication at its finest.
One thing is for sure, I love Gambas Rojas. So when in Spain, I make an effort to source these beauties (much cheaper there than overseas). These bright red crustaceans (also called aristeus antennatus) are found in the Mediterranean Sea and East Atlantic Ocean. They may not be the cheapest, but boy, the flavours are next level (beats lobster) and much of the flavour is concentrated in the sweet-tasting heads.
These coveted prawns are fished in the fisheries between Dénia and Ibiza, at a rough depth of 600 meters. They come in 4 sizes, the largest (category 1) being the most desired and expensive. Interesting enough, females come in the bigger sizes.
Since I’ve been residing in Madrid for the past month, I figured I need to optimise on the fresh seafood here. Saw some small ones on sale for 6 euros (1/4 kg). So without further ado, here is a simple recipe for Gambas Rojas with garlic.
Ingredients
- 250g of Gambas Rojas
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 5 tablespoons of good quality EVOO
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of crushed dried chilli
- Lemon (optional)
Instructions
- Wash prawns and pat dry
- Head olive oil in a pan on medium heat and lightly sauté the thinly sliced garlic being mindful not to let it burn. You want to golden and crispy in colour. Once it becomes crispy, take the garlic out and set aside.
- Turn heat on high now. Add the chilli. Pan fry the prawns roughly 1 minute on each side till they change colour and become opaque. Sprinkle some salt and paprika to flavour. I deglazed with a splash of cognac but this is totally optional.
- Dish the prawns up and serve on a plate with the remaining oil from the pan. Garnish with the garlic chips you made earlier.
