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Carabineros a la Gabardina

2 people
Easy

Prep time
30 mins

Cook time
10 mins

Total time
40 mins

Javier De La Hormaza

Recipe provided by

Javier De La Hormaza

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Ingredients

12 Carabinero prawns
1 large egg
60ml ice-cold Spanish lager
80g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
Vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Sea salt flakes, to finish
For the smoked paprika allioli:
1 egg yolk
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
150ml mild olive oil
Sea salt

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Introduction

A luxurious Basco take on one of Spain’s most iconic tapas dishes. Gambas a la gabardina — literally “prawns in a raincoat” — are coated in a light batter and fried until crisp and golden. Here, we swap the traditional prawns for spectacular Carabinero prawns, prized for their intense flavour and deep red colour. Basco tip: Keep both the beer and batter as cold as possible before frying. The contrast between the cold batter and hot oil helps create that wonderfully light, crisp gabardina around the sweet Carabinero prawn.

Method

Remove the heads and peel the Carabinero prawns, leaving the final section of the tail intact. Carefully remove the intestinal tract, rinse if necessary and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Keep refrigerated while you prepare the batter.
For the allioli, crush the garlic with a pinch of sea salt to form a smooth paste. Whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously until the mixture emulsifies into a thick, glossy allioli. Check the seasoning and add a little more lemon juice if needed. I’d use mild olive oil rather than extra virgin for the emulsion, as EVOO can make an allioli overly bitter when whisked.
Whisk the egg with the cold beer. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until you have a smooth, thick batter capable of coating the prawns. Leave to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, smoked paprika, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and refrigerate until needed.
Heat the frying oil to 180°C. Holding each Carabinero by its exposed tail, dip the prawn generously into the batter, allowing any excess to drip off. Carefully lower into the hot oil and fry in batches for around 3 minutes, turning if necessary, until puffed, crisp and beautifully golden. Drain immediately onto kitchen paper and season with a few flakes of sea salt.
Serve the Carabineros a la Gabardina piping hot with the smoked paprika allioli on the side — and, naturally, a properly chilled cerveza.