Gambas Pil Pil

By and Large in Andalusia there is a culture of rarely drinking alcohol without eating, makes a lot of sense, of course the English in Spain don't always take a lot of notice and seem to drink morning noon and night.

 But the Tapas culture is a wonderful thing that I really enjoy, little nibbles are so often more exciting than the big event, and in Spain Lunch is very much the main meal and Tapas will often suffice in the Evening.

My favourite Tapas is Gambas Pil Pil, Its very quick and simple and this is very much an authentic recipe that you will see throughout Spain. Key is to use very Fresh Raw Prawns, the pre cooked ones will go rubbery, Shell them and put in a bowl with a tsp of Paprika Picante and a squeeze of Lemon juice.

 In a Cazuelita which is an earthenware dish that can be put on an Electric or Gas Hob, heat to a Medium High Heat with some Good Quality Virgin Olive Oil add 5 or 6 finely chopped cloves of Garlic, dried or chopped Fresh Chillies and add your raw Prawns , after a minute or so they turn pink add a glass of Manzanilla or white wine, it will bubble and sizzle scatter some chopped Parsley and serve with crusty bread to mop up those delicious juices and a glass of ice cold Manzanilla.