Camarones San Miguel: An Easy Shrimp Appetizer

By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina

Camarones San Miguel
Camarones San Miguel

A few months ago, I was walking around Madrid having a hard time finding a good place to eat. It was siesta time (12:00-2:00 pm), and that meant that the majority of bars and restaurants were closed. The only cafés open were very "touristy" and definitely lacked authentic, Spanish fare.

I finally ran into the Mercado de San Miguel near the Plaza Mayor, right in the middle of downtown Madrid. I immediately realized this place was tapas heaven; it's a beautiful and colorful indoor fresh market with little stands that sell everything from gazpacho to roasted oysters and, no doubt, the best paella in Madrid. The market is specifically designed to allow customers to sample a variety of small and delicate, yet elegant dishes without spending a fortune. After sampling the gazpacho, paella, oysters, meat skewers and delicious bruschetta, I found Valero, a charismatic Spanish chef who offered samples of fried boquerones (anchovies) at the very edge of the San Miguel market .

Camarones San Miguel
Camarones San Miguel

The tiny, crunchy fish were delicious and fried to perfection. I watched Valero open the oven and pull out a plate of shrimp that smelled amazing and ordered the dish. It was the best seafood appetizer I've tried in a long time! I immediately realized that all it was was shrimp covered with olive oil, salt and green onions. He cooked them in the oven for five minutes and...bingo! I couldn't believe how something so simple could be so tasty. I asked him if there were any secrets to his recipe, and the only thing he said was: "When you are hungry for good food you can only make good food, no matter what your cooking skills are."

Try this recipe with my spooky drink to warm up this winter

Last weekend I was hungry for good food, so I gave the Camarones San Miguel a try. They were beyond amazing! There's an uncomplicated elegance to this dish that I love.

Camarones San Miguel
Camarones San Miguel

¡Les va a encantar!

Ingredients
(2 servings)
½ lb. whole shrimp
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. chives, finely chopped
Sea salt to taste


Directions

Preheat the oven to 470 degrees. Place the shrimp in a flat baking pan leaving space between each piece. Drizzle olive oil over the shrimp, top with chives, and finish with sea salt. Place the pan in the oven for six minutes. Remove once they're cooked (they'll have a pink color), and serve.


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