Gambas al Ajillo
- Yield servings
A traditional Spanish shrimp tapas dish from Iron Chef Jose Garces featuring guindilla chili peppers.
Mark Boughton/ styling: Teresa Blackburn
This base of Gambas al Ajillo is combination of shrimp, which is low and calories and saturated fat, with garlic, a healthy antioxidant, and the Spanish guindilla pepper. Guindilla peppers are medium-hot chiles that originated in Spain’s Basque County. The peppers get their heat from capsaicin, which is found in the seeds. Capsaicin is said to help speed up the metabolism – which we can use when we love to eat! —Jose Garces
Ingredients
- 1 pound (26-30) shrimp peeled and de-veined, tails removed
- 6 guindilla chiles, broken open
- 10 cloves of garlic, mined
- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover half way up the shrimp
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 2 ounces lemon juice
Instructions
- In a fire proof dish, large enough to lay out the shrimp in one layer (preferably a cazuela) add the oil, lemon juice, garlic and chilies.
- Place over a high flame until it starts to sizzle.
- Season the shrimp with a little salt and add them into the oil in one layer.
- Cook them for about 20 seconds a side then flip them over. Sprinkle with a little parsley and serve.
—Recipe by Jose Garces
