Spanish Garlic Shrimp - Camarones al Ajillo
This dish comes together very quickly, so have the rice and any sides ready when you start the shrimp.
Ingredients for 4 servings. Goes nicely with crusty bread and salad or rice and pasta:
1 lb jumbo shrimp - usually 15 - 21 shrimp per pound, cleaned and de-veined with tail left on.
Note: This is about 5 jumbo shrimp per person.
1/2 cup olive oil
Note: Seems like a lot, but you will want this flavored oil to dip the crusty bread into, or to pour over the rice.
8 - 12 garlic cloves thinly sliced - 8 cloves is the minimum, add more if you like.
1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp smoked hot paprika - 1/2 of this to sprinkle over the finished shrimp when serving.
1 tbl dry sherry (optional)
Minced parsley (optional for a finished look)
If you are making rice. Get it started first and while it’s cooking, prepare ingredients to make the shrimp.
To make the white rice - Use your favorite recipe or click here for my white pilaf style rice. For one pound of shrimp I would use 1 cup of white rice to 1 1/2 cups broth. Have it ready to go so that the shrimp can go over it as soon as they are ready.
To make the Garlic Shrimp:
Add enough oil in a heavy non-reactive pan to completely and generously cover the bottom of the skillet.
Add sliced garlic and sauté gently on low to medium heat. You want a gentle sizzle so the garlic will not get burned.
When garlic has golden color raise the heat so that when you add the shrimp, paprika, salt and pepper, you get a good sizzle.
Keep the shrimp flat so they fry and get a good color, not steam.
After 2 minutes, turn the shrimp over and cook another 1 - 2 minutes. Add the sherry now, if using. Remove from heat.
The shrimp should be pink, plump and beginning to curl. They will look slightly under cooked, but they will continue to cook after you take them off the heat.
Note: Don't overcook or they will loose their tenderness. If you use smaller shrimp, adjust the cooking time.
Serve them immediately over white rice or with crusty bread to soak up all the garlic oil which was created.
A little minced parsley and the remaining hot paprika for garnish.
