Spanish Garlic Shrimp - Camarones al Ajillo

Shrimp are the seafood equivalent of the little black dress. You can dress them up or dress them down, pairing them with an infinite number of flavors, spices and sides. They are meaty, moist and tender, quick, easy and reliable. Eating them hot or cold, they are equally satisfying. I always have a couple of pounds of jumbo shrimp on hand in the freezer, ready to pull out in a pinch and serve them with just about anything. One of my favorite quick "recipes" is a classic Spanish dish; shrimp sauteed with lots of garlic. In Spain this very popular Tapas dish is served with crusty bread used to soak up all the garlic sauce. As a dinner entree, I like it served over white rice, but it could also go with pasta, Italian style. In Spain shrimp are sold with the heads on, which have incredible flavor. When removed and boiled in water their broth is ideal to cook the rice, infusing it with its delicate, salty sea goodness. If you can find shrimp with heads on buy them, as they will likely be very fresh. Otherwise frozen shrimp are a better alternative. They are frozen when fresh and they can be purchased very conveniently peeled, cleaned and de-veined, which makes this dish a snap. It is a rich dish, so pair it with something slightly bitter, like an arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette and a bottle of sparkling wine.