Cellar Tastings

This is a savory spanish tapas dish you will find all over Spain, from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean. Tapas Bars serve Gambas al Ajillo from drizzly, atmospheric Santiago de Compostela in northwest Galicia all the way to the romantic Santa Cruz barrio in sunny Seville. It is normally cooked in the oven in “Cazuelas”, clay dishes, but can easily be prepared in the frying pan (better on a gas stove than electric). You can use small “gambas”, shrimp or large king prawns in this tapas dish.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. 20 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 8 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup chopped Flat leaf parsley
• 1 whole dried chili pepper, crushed (Guindillas or peperoncini)
• Sprinkle of salt, to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Juice from one lemon
• 1/2 cup white wine

Preparation

Heat the olive oil on medium high in a large frying pan. Add the fresh shrimp. Fry for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic, chili, salt and black pepper. Sauté another minute over high heat. Add the fresh lemon juice, white wine and another generous splash of olive oil. Sauté until shrimp is fully cooked, and liquid is slightly reduced another minute. Garnish with parsley and serve with rustic bread to soak up the lemony, olive oil. Serves 2

Try this dish with: Martin Codax Albariño

Albariño is the chic white to drink in Spain. It is reminiscent of Viognier, with fresh herbs on the nose, peachy nuances on the palate and can sometimes be slightly frizzante. Miguel Torres, Catalonia’s wine patriarch, is convinced that Albariño is actually Riesling, brought over by medieval German monks participating in the massive pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, called “Saint James Way”. Whatever the origins of the grape, it is undoubtedly responsible for making some of Spain’s finest white wines. Martin Codax makes one of the best albariños, known for being particularly elegant. Intense perfume of apricots and ripe apples and delicious lemony, fresh flavours.