Spanish garlic mushrooms - champiñones al ajillo

These Spanish garlic mushrooms, champiñones al ajillo, are a super simple tapas dish that are quick, easy and tasty. Perfect with other tapas, or enjoy as a side to various mains.

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The first time I had a version of this dish was in a small tapas bar in the North of Spain. It was right below the place I was working at the time and one of the friends I was with was vegetarian.

At that time (or at least in small towns like that), finding vegetarian dishes could be a challenge, apart from potato dishes like patatas bravas and tortillas. So, she got slightly flexible on picking meat out of the odd other dishes. And that was her approach to the mushrooms in that bar, as they only came with bits of ham mixed through. I know that would't be everyone's move, but at the time it gave her variety and they were worth enjoying if you could forget what had been mixed in.

The version I have made here doesn't have added any meat, though you can add some ham in if you like. Instead, it's all about enjoying the mushrooms themselves which are really tasty thanks to the few simple additions.

Al ajillo tapas dishes

If the name "al ajillo" sounds familiar it's probably down to the popular seafood tapas dish, gambas al ajillo, Spanish garlic shrimp. The shrimp dish is generally considered to be from Andalusia, but I haven't found any clear origin on the style of dish as a whole.

"Al ajillo" simply means "with garlic". It's a technique of cooking with garlic and olive oil to infuse the other ingredients with the flavors. It's simple but effective and definitely a favorite in Spain.

Sometimes other flavors are added in the mix. The shrimp dish also has a little kick from peppers, while here you typically add white wine, or you can use lemon juice.

The general style made it's way to Mexico and other Latin American countries, too. In dishes there, many of which are seafood, local chilis appear in the mix, along with the garlic and oil.

Tips for making this dish

I'm always a little nervous of starting to cook garlic before adding anything else as it can easily burn, if you are not careful. I think this is part of why some recipes start cooking the mushrooms first.

However any Spanish recipe I looked at starts with the garlic. I imagine this is to make sure you infuse the oil before it works its way into the mushrooms, maximizing the flavor. And it definitely works, as long as you follow these tips.

• Use a wide skillet/frying pan. Mushrooms reduce in volume a lot and do this quicker, and cook more evenly, with a larger surface area.
• Warm the oil over a low heat and add the garlic. Keep a close eye so it doesn't burn, just get fragrant. The low heat helps bring out the aroma without burning.
• Add the mushrooms, stir, then increase heat. Only once the mushrooms are gently coated in oil and starting to cook does it make sense to increase the heat. The liquid that the mushrooms release helps keep the garlic moist and not burn. But you also don't want them soggy, so you want higher heat to evaporate the liquid.
• Don't overcook the mushrooms. I do love nicely seared mushrooms, but that is not this dish. Here, the mushrooms stay tender and paler. So once they gently start to color, or even before, add the wine for that final flavor boost. Cook off the liquid then add the parsley.

It's all quick and easy to do, and the end dish is light and tasty. It's great to snack on, especially with some crusty bread on the side to mop up any cooking juices. That said, it also works well as a simple side dish to a range of main courses since the flavors are pretty easy to pair with.

These Spanish garlic mushrooms are wonderfully quick, easy, tasty and versatile. Whether you enjoy them as a tapas dish or serve them as a side, they've got great flavor with minimal fuss. Champiñones al ajillo are well worth enjoying whenever you can.

Try these other tasty tapas dishes:

• Escalivada, a deliciously simple Catalan dish of roasted vegetables.
• Spanish cheese board, always tasty to nibble on with ideas on what to include.
• Ensaladilla rusa, a potato salad with vegetables and in this case tuna.
• Chorizo al vino tinto, another easy tapas made with chorizo cooked in wine.
• Plus get more Spanish recipes in the archives.

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