Mixed seafood in a creamy garlic wine sauce {Mariscos al ajillo}

This is a quick and easy way to prepare mixed seafood in a creamy garlic wine sauce, aka “mariscos al ajillo” in Spanish. This recipe calls for a combination of shrimp, squid or calamari, and bay scallops – plus any additional seafood that you would like to add or replace.

En Español

The seafood is cooked in a mouthwatering sauce made with butter, garlic, white onion, white wine, and heavy cream. It is served with chopped parsley for an extra touch of freshness.

This dish of seafood in garlic sauce can be served as a starter or appetizer.  It’s just perfectly delicious on its own served with thick slices of rustic bread or baguette. The bread is the perfect vehicle to absorb that amazing sauce. Another option is to serve it as part of a main dish. I recommend serving it Latin style with rice, fried green plantains, and a side salad. It would also make a very tasty sauce for spaghetti or pasta. For a special meal you can also serve it as a topping sauce on top of grilled fish.

I used three types of seafood for this recipe: shrimp, squid, and bay scallops. Feel free to replace or add additional seafood based on your preference or what you have available. For example, you can make this with mussels, clams, crab, and/or octopus. If using crab and octopus I recommend adding them already cooked; and mixing them into the sauce once the rest of the seafood is cooked.  

I recommend having all the ingredients cleaned and prepped ahead of time, as well as any side dishes or garnishes. This garlicky seafood dish takes vey little time to cook and this way you can be ready to enjoy it immediately.

Mixed seafood in a creamy garlic wine sauce {Mariscos al ajillo}

Recipe for mixed seafood in a creamy garlic wine sauce, or mariscos al ajillo. Made with a mix of shrimp, calamari or squid, and bay scallops cooked in a sauce of butter, garlic, white onion, white wine, cream, and parsley.

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Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Starter

Cuisine: Ecuadorian inspired, Fusion, Latin, Spanish

Keyword: Al ajillo, Cream, Garlic, Scallops, Seafood, Seafood in garlic sauce, Shrimp, Squid, White wine

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 as an appetizer or starter or for 2 as a main dish

Ingredients

• ½ pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined
• ½ pound squid or calamari cut into slices
• ½ pound bay scallops
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped white onion
• 6 garlic cloves crushed or minced
• ¼ cup white wine
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped parsley

Serving ideas:

• Patacones/tostones or fried green plantains
• Rice (Latin style)
• Tomato and onion curtido side salad
• Bread

Instructions

• Season the seafood with a sprinkle of salt.
• Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet.
• Add the onion and garlic, cook for about two minutes.
• Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the white wine, mix well and cook over high heat for 1 minute.
• Add the heavy cream and cook until the shrimp are almost done.
• Add the squid and bay scallops, cook for about two minutes or until done, and immediately remove from heat.
• Taste and add salt if needed. Add ground black pepper to taste.
• Mix in the chopped parsley.
• Serve the mixed seafood in garlic sauce immediately. You can serve it as an appetizer with bread. It can also be served as a main dish with rice, fried green plantains, salad, etc.

Step by step photo preparation for mixed seafood in a creamy garlic white wine sauce or mariscos al ajillo: