Gambas al Ajillo
Gambas al ajillo is all about treating a handful of simple ingredients carefully. Garlic is slowly poached in olive oil until mellow and fragrant, then Calabrian chile adds a gentle heat before the shrimp are cooked right in the infused oil. Fresh lime and parsley brighten everything at the end, and a soft baguette makes sure none of that garlic-chile oil goes to waste.
Directions
1. Slice the Garlic
Slice the garlic very thinly. Thin, even slices will gently soften and flavor the olive oil as they poach.
2. Slowly Poach the Garlic
Add the olive oil and sliced garlic to a small saucepan and set over low heat. Cook very gently for at least 20 minutes. You should see only gentle bubbling around the garlic—we are slowly poaching it and infusing the oil, not frying it. The garlic should soften without becoming deeply browned.
3. Add the Calabrian Chile
Toward the end of the garlic poaching time, stir in the finely diced Calabrian chile along with a little of its oil. Continue cooking gently so the chile flavors the oil.
4. Prepare the Shrimp
While the garlic poaches, pat the shrimp very thoroughly dry with paper towels. Immediately before cooking, season the shrimp evenly with the kosher salt.
5. Move to a Wide Pan
Set a wide skillet over medium heat. Pour the garlic-chile oil into the skillet, making sure all of the garlic and chile come with it. The wider pan gives the shrimp enough surface area to cook evenly.
6. Cook the Shrimp
Add the shrimp to the garlic-chile oil and cook for roughly 5 minutes, keeping them moving by tossing or turning frequently so they cook evenly. The oil is not meant to be screaming hot; the shrimp cook gently in the infused oil. Watch the garlic as carefully as the shrimp. If it begins browning rapidly, reduce the heat. Cook just until the shrimp are cooked through.
7. Finish with Lime & Parsley
Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the fresh lime juice and chopped parsley and toss everything together. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
8. Serve
Serve immediately with slices of soft-crusted baguette alongside. Make sure everyone gets plenty of the garlic-chile oil for dipping.
Notes
The garlic is deliberately cooked very slowly. We want it soft, sweet and deeply infused into the olive oil—not browned and crisp. Once garlic becomes too dark it can turn bitter, so keep the heat low during the infusion and continue watching it once the oil moves to the wider skillet.
Take the time to dry the shrimp thoroughly before cooking. Excess surface moisture cools the oil and dilutes the garlic-chile mixture. Season them with the salt immediately before they go into the pan rather than while the garlic is poaching.
The olive oil is part of the dish, not simply a cooking medium. Spoon some of the garlic-chile oil into each serving and put plenty of soft baguette on the table for soaking it up.
Paul's Tips
Before juicing a lemon or lime, microwave it for about 30 seconds. Warming the fruit helps it release significantly more juice with much less squeezing. Just be careful when you cut it—it will be warm.