Ingredients* cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 dried red chili pepper
1 kg large raw prawns
salt
Instructions
1.Peel and slice the garlic. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper. Peel the prawns
and remove the tails.
2.Heat oil in large earthenware casserole or individual ramekins over medium heat.
Sauté the garlic slices, the pepper and the prawns together, stirring continuously for 3
minutes. Season to taste with salt.
3.Remove the casserole from the heat, and immediately cover with a plate.
4.Serve the gambas sizzling and covered in the casserole in which they were cooked.
COOK'S TIP: Serve with crusty white bread for dunking in the oil.
Gambas al Ajillo is a wildly popular tapa—a small dish served before full meals in Spanish
taverns. According to legend, the first tapa was invented when an ingenious barkeeper
covered a glass of sherry with a slice of ham and discovered that the salty ham made
customers drink more.