Ajillo Mushrooms

Few tapas taste more Spanish than champiñones al ajillo (ajillo mushrooms), dripping with olive oil, garlic and dry Spanish Sherry.

To make this tapa even more authentic, be sure to serve the mushrooms with plenty of fresh, crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices.

• Serves 4
• 10 minutes preparation + 12 minutes cooking
• Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) olive oil
• 4 cups (8 oz) mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red chile, seeded and crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation

Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms over high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, sherry, lemon juice, dried chile, paprika, and salt and pepper.

Cook for about 5 minutes or until the garlic and mushrooms have softened.

Remove from the heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve on small earthenware platters.

See also...

The best tapas recipes at Easy-tapas-recipes.com!

Tapas are Spain's greatest food invention. "Eat when you drink, drink when you eat" is the philosophy. Spanish men traditionally drink outside the home and rarely alone. They are not meant to be a meal (although a ración is a substantial portion). One tapa per person and a different one with each drink is the idea, then everyone enjoys tasting and sharing.

Spain... A Culinary Road Trip: Mario Batali and Mark Bittman along with Gwyneth Paltrow and the Spanish actress Claudia Bassols take the ultimate road trip adventure, showcasing the pleasures of Spain and the country's regional cuisine. More than seventy recipes from Mario appear in this scrapbook of the dream vacation through Spain.