Garlic Shrimp in a Shrimp Sauce, and Beach Days
Beach, rice, and seafood, go hand in hand in my mind. It is the feeling of summer, the taste of it, what I remember and what I live and experience every summer in Spain.
Another summer constant is that my mom is the main cook. It’s her house, the one we grew up in, the place where she knows where everything is and how everything works. I still find myself a little bit lost every time I try to cook or bake there. That’s fine by me, and I know she likes it too: feeding family is a pleasure for her, and it’s probably where I get it from.
Gambas al ajillo, garlic shrimp, is a classic. It can be eaten as a tapa, or as a first course, or even as a second course. It’s easy to make, and with the abundance, quality and freshness of the gambas we get daily, I would say it is a no-fail dish.
But my mom steps it up a notch, and makes the sauce with the heads of the shrimp themselves. I call it garlic shrimp in a shrimp sauce. I know I cannot replicate this dish in Fort Wayne, but I hope many of my readers that live on the coast can —shrimp is beheaded by the time it reaches the markets, one of the very few downsides around where I live. The heads are one of the best parts of shellfish, and so many other dishes can be made, or improved, by using them, from seafood stock to this delicious sauce my mom makes. In Spain, most of the classic dishes that include shellfish present them whole, and one sucks the insides of the heads, where most of the flavor is concentrated. I know it might sound weird, even plain disgusting to some. But don’t panic, American friends, when you think about it, in concept it’s not much different than eating a hotdog: you really don’t want to know where it comes from.
I leave you with my mom’s recipe for gambas al ajillo en salsa de gambas, garlic shrimp in a shrimp sauce, and with glimpses of a day at the beach with my youngest and my godson. Pure bliss.
Shrimp and more at Mercado Central de Valencia
GARLIC SHRIMP IN A SHRIMP SAUCE
Gambas Al Ajillo con Salsa de Gambas
Ingredients:
2 lbs large, fresh, shell and head on shrimp
3/4 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves
A few sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tsp salt
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
Wedges of lemon, for garnish
Remove the heads of the shrimp and reserve.
Lay the shrimp in a flat pan or tray.
Mince the garlic and the parsley. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, parsley and salt with 1/2 cup olive oil. Pour this mixture over the shrimp and let marinate in the fridge while you prepare the sauce.
Make the sauce:
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Sprinkle the heads of the shrimp with a pinch of salt. When the oil is hot, add the red pepper flakes, stir for about 1 minute, and add the heads. Sauté the heads for 3-4 minutes, pressing with the back of a wooden spoon to help release the juices. Add the wine and cook until most of the alcohol is evaporated, an extra 2 minutes.
Pour the contents of the pan in a food mill set over a bowl. Rotate the crank until all the juices are extracted from the head shells. Remove the food mill from the bowl and discard its contents. Adjust the sauce to your liking by adding more salt or by liquifying it some more with one or two spoonfuls of water or white wine.
Make the shrimp:
Place the same large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the shrimp. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula until the shrimp is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat source.
To serve, transfer the shrimp to a serving platter, alongside lemon wedges. Place the warm sauce in smaller bowls and accompany the dish with slices of crusty or grilled bread. Serve immediately.
