Champiñones al Ajillo
Around the Madrid region garlic mushrooms is one of the ever present dishes in the tapas bars. They are cooked in a ceramic dish which is placed directly onto the heat source. It is very simple to make and takes just a few minutes. The same instructions can be used to make garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo). If you like some added spice with your food just add some fresh chillis or dried cayenne peppers according to taste.
Ingredients
Serves 4 – 6 Tapas
- 400g of mushrooms – cleaned and sliced
- half a head of garlic
- olive oil sufficient to sauté the mushrooms
- salt
- a splash of alcohol sherry would be most common but as we didn’t have any I threw in a drop of brandy
Cooking Method
Add the olive oil and garlic to the earthenware dish then place it directly onto a medium gas flame.
Once the oil is sizzling start to add the sliced mushrooms. Stir occasionally and sprinkle some salt into the mushrooms. After a few minutes the mushrooms will look a darker colour, turn off the heat and add a splash of sherry to the oil.
Serve in the dish with a crusty loaf.
Enjoy!
A WORD OF WARNING. Try to use a medium sized earthenware dish with the oil lying quite low in it when it sizzles. With small dishes the oil tends to spill over the edge which can be dangerous as it comes into contact with the gas flame.