We first enjoyed Executive Chef Owen Price’s Gambas al Ajillo appetizer while dining with friends at Falmouth Country Club. It’s a delicious smokey-paprika and garlicky shrimp appetizer that we could imagine having at a restaurant along Las Ramblas, Barcelona. It pairs perfectly with the 2020 Huguet de Can Feixes, Blanc Selecció, from the Penedès region of Spain (included in January's white Wine Club deliveries (1/31). Below, you’ll find the easy recipe and more details about how we were able to bring the recipe to you.

Full disclosure, we select the wines for the wine list at the Falmouth Country Club, so, we know it well. 2020 Can Feixes, Blanc Séleccio is a young, dry white wine made mostly from indigenous grape varieties in the foothills of Alt Penedès, Spain—a one-hour drive from Barcelona. The grapes are all organic, hand-picked with grape selection in the vineyard, and the second selection of grapes in the bodega to ensure only the finest grapes are used. It is a beautiful lemon color with silver tones, aromas of fresh-squeezed lime, ripe green pear, and a refreshing minerality that all persist on the palate and merry well with the sauce and the shrimp in this dish. The wine is dry, medium-bodied, and the fruit, minerality, acidity, and body are all in balance.

After dinner, I stepped into the kitchen to share my excitement for the dish and the wine pairing with Chef Price. I also shared with him the efforts behind the new Wine Wise Wine Club. “We’ll be delivering sommelier-curated wines to local people and including our tasting notes and food pairing suggestions that connect them talented local chefs, restaurants, and specialty purveyors available right in their own backyard”. I further explained that the Can Feixes is one of the wines that we were potentially including as one of the white wines in the January Wine Club deliveries.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Before I could ask, Chef Price explained how easy the shrimp dish is to make at home and he’d love to be a part of the Wine Club initiative. Here you have it! Chef Price’s Gambas al Ajillo recipe for the 2020 Huguet de Can Feixes, Blanc Selecció in January’s white wine club deliveries (Monday 1/31). The wine is also included in our Explorer Spanish Whites 6-bottle set.

If you’re not a wine club member yet, there are many perks to joining in January. You’ll be become one of our esteemed Founding Club Members and be on track to receive a special invitation to the Semi-Annual Members-Only Soiree during Portland Wine Week and a semi-annual gift to accentuate your at-home wine program (for those with a 6-month active Club Membership for January through June).

RECIPE

The trick here is to not overcook the shrimp. Since the cooking time is so quick - 4 minutes max, you’ll want to have all of the ingredients chopped, pinched, poured, and measured out to have ready to go into the pan before you turn the heat on. And maybe a nice glass of the Can Feixes for the cook.

Serves 2 people as an appetizer
Or add a nice baby lettuce salad with shaved manchego and a good vinaigrette and a slice of toasted and garlic-rubbed crusty bread and we’d say you have an outstanding dinner for one.

Here’s what you need:

1 sauté pan
1 spoon to stir
Appetizer plates, a rimmed dish, or shallow bowl to plate

Ingredients

2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp smoked paprika (check out local spice shop Skordo)
Pinch red pepper flake
3 TBSP Amontillado or Oloroso sherry (or dry white wine)
1 tsp honey
3 TBSP olive oil
12 16-20 count uncooked shrimp thawed (peeled and deveined)
1 tsp Malden salt (to finish)
2 TBSP fresh dill fronds (optional)
Crusty bread (optional)

Step 1

Add the olive oil and shrimp to a room temperature medium sauté pan. Cook on a stovetop burner on medium-high heat until one side of the shrimp is seared. About 2 minutes depending on how fast your burner heats up. Chef Price does not recommend heating the olive oil in the pan before adding the shrimp. Get recommends bringing everything up to temperature together.

Step 2

Once the shrimp are seared on one side, flip the shrimp over, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally.

Step 3

Add the sherry, red pepper flake, paprika, and honey. Stir everything together in the pan for 90 seconds.

Step 4

Remove the shrimp from the pan and place on to a plate or shallow bowl. Pour the sauce over the shrimp. Sprinkle some Maldon salt and fresh dill fonds over the top.

Buen Provecho!

2020 Huguet de Can Feixes, Blanc Selecció, Penedès, Spain + Gambas al Ajillo

﻿RECIPE

RECIPE