Gambas Pil Pil Recipe

Sizzling, spicy shrimp are a favorite at the merenderos (open-air bars) that line the beaches on the Costa del Sol.  The shrimp are great served as an appetizer, with a Rosado, a light, fruit-scented rosé wine.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups olive oil
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1 tspn Tabasco or hot sauce
6 tbsp hot paprika
4 tspn coarse sea salt
1 tspn cayenne pepper
12 cloves garlic, slivered
32 jumbo shrimp (see note), peeled and deveined
Crusty Italian or French bread, for dunking in the sauce

Preparation:

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Combine the oil, butter, Tabasco, paprika, salt, cayenne, and garlic in a 2-cup glass measuring cup.  Place 4 shrimp in each of 8 small ovenproof ramekins or dishes.  Divide the spicy garlic oil among the ramekins.
3. Arrange the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil until the shrimp are red-pink and the oil is sizzling, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. To serve, place each ramekin on a slightly larger dish and be sure to yell, “Hot plate!!!” as you slide it onto the table.  Serve with bread to soak up all that good garlicky-hot oil.

Note:  You can substitute 48 or 56 slightly smaller shrimp for the 32 jumbo shrimp.

Makes 8 servings

Recipe courtesy of The Fire Island Cookbook by Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen  


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