Spanish garlic mushrooms (Champiñones al ajillo)

Name: Spanish garlic mushrooms (Champiñones al ajillo)
Prep time: 14 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 500 g Fresh brown button mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed; 25 g Fresh garlic, peeled; 40 ml Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 g Pure dried red chili flakes, no additives; 4 g Fine salt; 1 g Ground black pepper; 12 g Fresh flat-leaf parsley; 10 ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice

AI-generated

Preparation time14 min

Total time22 min

DifficultyEasy

Instructions

0/5 complete

Step 1Wipe 500 g mushrooms clean with a barely damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Halve small mushrooms and quarter large ones so the pieces are similar in size. Thinly slice 25 g garlic and finely chop 12 g flat-leaf parsley.
Step 2Heat 40 ml olive oil in a wide, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 500 g mushrooms in one layer; if the pan is crowded, work in batches. Leave them undisturbed for 3 minutes to develop golden edges, then turn and cook another 3–4 minutes until the released liquid has evaporated. Use a heavy pan about 32 cm across for the base quantity; allow another 7–8 minutes for each extra batch.
Step 3Lower the heat to medium-low. Add 25 g sliced garlic and 1 g chili flakes, stirring for 45–60 seconds until fragrant and pale gold. Keep the garlic moving and do not let it turn dark brown.
💡 Kitchen tip
Dry and spread the mushrooms before frying so they brown instead of steaming. Add sliced garlic only after the mushroom liquid has evaporated, then finish with lemon off the heat.
Step 4Season the mushrooms with 4 g salt and 1 g black pepper; toss for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through 10 ml lemon juice and 12 g chopped parsley.
Step 5Transfer the mushrooms and their garlicky cooking juices to a warm serving dish. Serve immediately while glossy and hot; cool and refrigerate any leftovers promptly.

About this recipe

Champiñones al ajillo are a familiar Spanish tapa of sautéed mushrooms scented with garlic and olive oil. The name describes a method rather than one immutable recipe: different households add chili, parsley, sherry, paprika or lemon. This everyday version uses brown button mushrooms, sliced garlic and a little dried chili, then finishes with fresh parsley and lemon juice. A broad frying pan is important because mushrooms release moisture; if the pieces are crowded, they steam instead of browning. Let the cut sides colour before turning, wait for the released juices to evaporate, and add the garlic only towards the end so it does not burn. Serve the mushrooms straight from the pan as a small starter, an accompaniment or part of a tapas spread. Bread can be served separately to catch the garlicky oil. There is no documented single inventor or exact creation date for this traditional style of cooking.

Spanish garlic mushrooms (Champiñones al ajillo)

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