Grab Some Bread and Devour Gambas Al Ajillo

Gambas al ajillo, or shrimp with garlic is perhaps one of the most popular tapas outside of Spain. I love shrimp, and you cant go wrong with shrimp fried with lots of garlic and olive oil, but for me the appeal of this dish is less about the shrimp and more about the caramelized garlic and shrimp juices that settle in the bottom of the pan. Put a pan of these in front of me and I could devour a whole loaf of bread, smearing each nibble of browned garlic onto every last piece of crusty bread. Thats why I like using elephant garlic. Its milder than regular garlic, which means you can use a lot more of it before it becomes overpowering. Its also a lot larger than regular garlic (think shallot sized cloves), so its much easier to peel and chop. For this recipe I used half of one giant clove of elephant garlic, but had I been using regular garlic it probably would have taken a whole head of garlic to get the same volume. While this dish is usually made with chili peppers in Spain, I like using pimentón because it adds a smoky flavor thats a perfect compliment to the browned garlic and shrimp. Ive also left out the cognac that usually goes into gambas al ajillo in favor of a stove + oven approach that cooks the shrimp more evenly. If for some crazy reason you end up with leftovers, just boil some pasta, drain it, and then toss the leftovers with the hot pasta. The residual heat will warm up the shrimp without making them rubbery, and the shrimp, garlic and oil make for the perfect sauce.

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Marc Matsumoto is a culinary consultant and recipe repairman who shares his passion for good food through his website norecipes.com. For Marc, food is a life long journey of exploration, discovery and experimentation and he shares his escapades through his blog in the hopes that he inspires others to find their own culinary adventures. Marcs been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and has made multiple appearances on NPR and the Food Network.