Soak it up

(Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff)

Avid home cooks might leave the sauteed frogs legs and paprika-scented octopus to an expert like Deborah Hansen, who serves these and other "riveting, old-school" Madrid classics at Taberna de Haro, her bustling Brookline tapas bar. But gambas al ajillo, the straightforward combination of briny shrimp and slivered garlic sizzled in copious amounts of fruity olive oil, requires just five familiar ingredients. Hansen fills an earthenware cazuela (a small skillet is a fine substitute) with a 1/2-inch of olive oil, adds plenty of sliced garlic, and sizzles them on a burner until golden. In go 10 large peeled shrimp, a dash of crushed red pepper (Hansen finds it more consistent than dried chili peppers), and sea salt. A few minutes of high heat cook the shrimp, which are served with lots of crusty bread to soak up the shellfish-sweetened oil. "When people want butter for the bread," Hansen says, "I say, 'Nope, order the shrimp.' " Taberna de Haro, 999 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-277-8272, www.tabernaboston.com.