Olive Oil Poached Shrimp with Saffron (a Spanish Tapa)

motor bike in spain castle

Incredibly easy to make, this Tapa is simple, delicious, and classic. I came across it long ago at one of the first Spanish tapas restaurants in NYC, down in Tribeca, called “Flor de Sol”. It was before I had ever been to Spain, so the very Spanish castle-like interior always made me swoon, and I always ordered this dish. I just added the paprika as it’s a golden combo with seafood.

Serves 2

  • 2 handfuls of peeled shrimp, tails on
  • 1 pinch of Spanish saffron threads
  • the juice of one lemon
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • about 1 ½ cups of olive oil
  • 2 cloves thinly sliced garlic
  • 2 pinches of paprika
  • salt/pepper to taste

Take a small pan and pour your oil into it. Heat it until it is very hot, but not smoking. Add your garlic and let it fry about two minutes or until the color changes slightly. Turn off the heat. Put in your saffron threads and your shrimp. Let it cook for a few minutes (no more than 3) in the residual heat and then take a slotted spoon and put your shrimp in a bowl. Put a few tbsp of your oil on top, and squeeze with lemon to cool them down. Sprinkle with parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika. Ready to serve.

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