Gambas Pil Pil
Shrimp in sizzling chili-garlic oil
Ingredients
- 400 g Shrimp
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 Dried chilies
- 1 tsp Pimenton dulce (sweet smoked paprika)
- 5 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Parsley (optional)
Method
- Peel the prawns, slice the garlic, and chop the parsley.
- Warm the olive oil with the garlic and dried chili over medium-low heat until fragrant and the garlic just starts to colour.
- Add the prawns and paprika and cook until the prawns are just pink and curled.
- Scatter over the parsley and serve sizzling with bread.
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About Gambas Pil Pil
Gambas pil pil is the shrimp version of a famous Basque preparation, the pil pil being the sizzling, garlic-and-chili-scented olive oil the seafood cooks in, its onomatopoeic name echoing the sound of the bubbling pan. Closely related to gambas al ajillo, this rendition leans harder into gentle heat and adds sweet smoked pimentón, which tints the oil a warm rust and lends a mellow smokiness underneath the chili's kick. It is served straight from the pan, oil and all.
The eating is pure and direct: sweet prawns curled just to doneness in an oil made fragrant with slowly warmed garlic and dried chili, the pimentón rounding the edges so the heat reads as glow rather than burn. The care here lives in cooking the garlic over medium-low until it barely colors, coaxing out its sweetness without letting it scorch and turn acrid, then adding prawns and paprika only briefly so nothing overcooks. It is a twelve-minute tapa built for sharing, brought to the table still sizzling with plenty of bread to soak up the flavored oil, and it makes an easy, impressive starter for a larger Spanish meal.
Gambas Pil Pil: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Gambas Pil Pil?
A serving has about 251 calories — 20.8g protein, 2.7g carbs, 18g fat, 1.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Gambas Pil Pil gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Gambas Pil Pil has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Do I need every ingredient to make Gambas Pil Pil?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out parsley — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Gambas Pil Pil make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.