Gambas al ajillo
Sizzling garlic prawns: shrimp cooked fast in olive oil with sliced garlic and dried chilli, brought to the table bubbling in the same little earthenware dish.
Gambas al ajillo is one of the most reliable orders in any Spanish tapas bar: peeled prawns thrown into hot olive oil loaded with sliced garlic and a hit of dried guindilla chilli, cooked for barely a minute and served still bubbling in the cazuela they were cooked in. The prawns are almost beside the point — the real prize is the garlicky, chilli-warmed oil, which is why the dish never arrives without bread to mop it up.
How it's served
Bubbling hot in a small earthenware cazuela, with plenty of bread to soak up the garlic oil. A tapas-bar staple.
- Origin
- Spain
- Etymology
- Gambas are prawns; al ajillo means 'in garlic', from ajo (garlic).
Where to try it in Barcelona
3 restaurants on Guidavera mention gambas al ajillo in their kitchen description.
Frequently asked
What is in gambas al ajillo?
Prawns, olive oil, plenty of sliced garlic and dried guindilla chilli, sometimes a splash of sherry or a little parsley. That is essentially it — the simplicity is the point.
Why is it served sizzling?
It is cooked and served in the same small earthenware dish straight from the heat, so it reaches the table still bubbling. That hot, garlicky oil is what you dip bread into.
Related terms
- Al ajilloCooked fast in olive oil with sliced garlic and dried chilli. The default treatment for prawns, mushrooms and clams in a Spanish kitchen.
- Gamba rojaThe deep-red Mediterranean prawn from the Catalan and Valencian coast. One of the most prized seafood ingredients in Spain, eaten grilled or raw.