Authentic Gambas Pil Pil Recipe with De Grendel Three Spades Cider

Authentic Gambas Pil Pil Recipe with De Grendel Three Spades Cider

Bring the flavours of Spain to your table with Gambas Pil Pil, a traditional tapas dish that’s as bold as it is versatile. Perfect as a starter or snack, this recipe highlights the rich, aromatic prawn oil that serves as its base. Infused with the essence of prawn shells, garlic, and spices, the oil can be prepared ahead of time, giving you a head start on a dish that’s sure to impress.

Pair with crusty bread and a chilled bottle of De Grendel Three Spades Cider for the ultimate culinary experience.

Prep time: 25 mins / Cook time: 15 mins / Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 400g whole prawns, cleaned
  • 250ml olive oil
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 red chillies, thinly sliced
  • 5ml Spanish smoked paprika
  • 5ml cayenne pepper
  • 8 to 10 green olives
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Finely chopped parsley and lemon, to serve

Method:

  1. Remove the heads and shells from half of the prawns, reserving the meat. Place the heads and shells into a saucepan and cover completely with olive oil. Bring the oil to a slow simmer and cook for 10 minutes over low heat, before removing from the stove and leaving to cool slightly. This allows the flavour from the shells to infuse into the oil.

  2. Once cooled, strain the prawn oil, pressing the shells into a sieve to extract every drop. Discard the shells and set the oil aside until needed.

  3. Preheat the grill setting on the oven and move the rack up to just beneath the element. Using an ovenproof dish, scatter in the sliced garlic and chillies followed by the paprika, cayenne pepper, olives and bay leaves. Pour in 125ml of the prawn oil and 125ml of De Grendel Three Spades cider. Grill the sauce in the oven for 10 minutes or until the garlic and olives are soft and fragrant. Remove the dish and add in the prawns (shelled and unshelled) and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the prawns are cooked.

  4. Scatter over finely chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon and serve the prawns with crusty bread and chilled bottles of De Grendel Three Spades cider.

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