Prawns Pil Pil / Gambas Pil Pilo Recipe

Prawn prep

If prawns are frozen, thaw fully in the refrigerator. Pat prawns dry with paper towels. If not already deveined, make a shallow cut along the back and remove the vein; leave tails on for appearance and ease of handling.

Mise en place

Slice the garlic thinly, finely chop the parsley, slice the chilli (or measure chilli flakes), and measure the wine, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper. Preheat a medium skillet (10–12 inch / 25–30 cm) over medium heat.

Add the olive oil to the preheated skillet and warm it until shimmering but not smoking (about 1–2 minutes).

Add the sliced garlic and sliced chilli (or chilli flakes) to the oil. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and just starting to turn golden. Do not let garlic burn.

Stir in the smoked paprika to bloom it in the oil for 10–15 seconds — this releases its smoky aroma.

Turn heat to medium-high and add the prawns in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 1 minute to get a little color on one side, then flip each prawn and cook another 1 minute. Prawns cook quickly and will turn opaque and pink; total cooking time for large prawns is typically 2–3 minutes.

Pour in the white wine and scrape any browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to bubble and reduce for 1–2 minutes so the alcohol cooks off and flavors concentrate.

Stir in the lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. If using, add the butter now and swirl the pan until it melts into the sauce, giving it a glossy finish.

Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately stir in most of the chopped parsley, reserving a little for garnish.

Transfer the prawns and the garlicky oil to a warm shallow serving dish (traditional small cazuela or frying pan works well). Spoon the sauce over the prawns so each piece is well coated.

Scatter the remaining chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately with slices of crusty bread to soak up the oil and sauce. Offer lemon wedges at the table for extra brightness.