Gambas al Pil-Pil is a close cousin of gambas al ajillo, but turned up — more chilli, served straight off the heat so it's still sizzling when it lands on the table.
Bread is not optional here; you need something to soak up the garlic-chilli oil once the prawns are gone.
Ingredients
- 500g raw king prawns, peeled, tails on
- 100ml olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 dried chillies (guindilla or similar), sliced, or 1 tsp chilli flakes — more heat than classic ajillo
- 1 tbsp brandy or dry sherry (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- Sea salt, to taste
- Crusty bread, to serve
Method
- Pat the prawns dry and season with salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook gently for 1–2 minutes until the garlic is just golden — don't let it burn.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and add the prawns in a single layer. Cook for about 1 minute per side until just pink.
- Off the heat, add the brandy or sherry if using and swirl through.
- Scatter with parsley and serve sizzling hot, straight from the pan, with bread for the chilli-garlic oil. Pil-pil means more heat than a standard ajillo — don't be shy with the chilli.
Pil-pil means more heat and a sharper sizzle than a classic gambas al ajillo — if it isn't audibly sizzling when it reaches the table, it's not quite right.
This is the home version
This version is sized for a home stove. At an actual event, it's the same method in a 90cm pan, cooked where your guests can watch — and we handle every dish afterward, not you.
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