Gambas Gabardina
Gambas Gabardina (prawns in a raincoat or prawns in a jacket) is a popular seafood recipe, and originates from Madrid. These succulent gems, smothered in batter and deep fried are fantastic as finger food at a buffet… as a starter… or as a snack. Bloomin lovely!! These are sooo easy to make – that you’ll do them time and time again. You can make your own batter if you have a trusted recipe… or use the recipe below.
- 120 grams of plain flour
- 1 medium sized egg
- 100 ml ice cold water
- 1 kg prawns
- Plenty of oil for frying
Method
- Make the batter as far ahead as you can, so you allow it time to “rest” in the fridge before using.
- To make the batter… use a whisk to blend the egg with the flour, and add the water slowly until the consistency is a thick batter. Pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours to “rest”, although you can just use it straight away if your own batter is always foolproof.
- Prepare your prawns by shelling them and removing the vein. If you can leave the tails on – they look nicer when cooked… but you can remove that too if you prefer. This is probably the longest and messiest part of the recipe – but worth taking the time.
- Dunk the prawns in the batter (hold by the tails to keep your fingers clean) and fry in very hot oil for a couple of minutes until the prawns are cooked through, and the batter is starting to brown
- Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon or drainer. Allow the oil to drain off on kitchen paper and serve hot.
I like gambas gabardina dipped in marie rose sauce too! Gently mix a good dollop of mayonnaise with a bit of ketchup until it’s light pink and add a pinch of something spicy such as cayenne or paprika for a little kick. I like a grind or two of black pepper too.
You can make a lighter batter by using granulated Harina with 2 egg whites. Don’t add water this time, and don’t rest. Dunk the prawns and fry as above.
Enjoy!
Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.
