Gambas al Ajillo a la Andaluza

Gambas al ajillo a la Andaluza is prawns, olive oil, sliced garlic, and a dried guindilla, served in the same oil that cooked them. That is the dish. No flour, no sauce thickened on purpose, no long cooking until the prawns bounce under your teeth. The cazuela comes to the table still glossy and alive, and the bread is not optional unless you enjoy wasting the best part.

The method that decides it is the garlic. Start it gently in the oil and let it go only to pale gold at the edges before the prawns go in. Brown garlic makes bitter oil, and bitter oil has nowhere to hide here. Once the prawns curl and turn opaque, stop. The clay keeps working for a moment after the heat is off, so trust it.

If you're far from Andalucía, buy raw frozen prawns or shrimp before you buy tired fresh ones. Thaw them slowly, dry them hard, and know they'll throw a little more water into the oil, so keep the pan lively and cook them quickly. If you can't find guindilla, use one small dried cayenne or árbol chile. No hace falta haber pisado España. My Margin for this one says: garlic pale, prawns just curled. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.