Gambas al Ajillo - Garlic Shrimp

Cazuelas (Terra Cotta)

Cazuelas, terra cotta dishes, have been used in Spain for literally thousands of years -- from the humblest home to the grandest manor house. Terra cotta is rustic earthenware, and can be used for sizzling hot tapas or a bowl of crisp olives. A 4.5-inch diameter dish is a handy size to serve tapas snacks like almonds, caper berries or Spanish olives. Put an extra one beside the other dishes for olive pits or stems. The glaze on the cazuelas is lead-free and the cazuelas are safe for the oven. One of our favorite tapas to serve in these dishes is Gambas al Ajillo - small shrimp sizzled in olive oil with garlic and cayene pepper flakes! We simply heat the oil in the oven, add the ingredients to cook for a few minutes, and serve right in the cazuela dish.