Chef Isabel
Tortilla de Bacalao Bilbaína
Tortilla de bacalao is Basque bar food from Bilbao: desalted cod, onion, green pepper, and eggs kept soft so the omelette stays juicy enough to cut for the counter.
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Chef Isabel
Champiñones a la Plancha Bilbaínos
Bilbao's champiñones a la plancha are mushroom caps seared hard on a hot plancha, finished with garlic and parsley, then piled on bread while the juices are still glossy.
Chef Isabel
Brocheta de Gambas Donostiarra
This Basque prawn skewer belongs to Donostia's pintxo counters: hot plancha prawns, bread to catch the juices, and a garlicky parsley oil spooned over at the end.
Chef Isabel
Foie a la Plancha con Manzana
Foie a la plancha is Basque bar-counter food at its richest: thick slices of foie seared hard for seconds, set over apple, and eaten before the fat has time to run away.
Chef Isabel
Pintxo de Anchoas del Cantábrico
A Basque pintxo built on one thing: a good Cantabrian anchovy laid over crisp bread, sweet piquillo, chopped egg, and garlic oil, with nothing loud enough to drown the fish.
Chef Isabel
Piquillos Rellenos de Bacalao
Piquillos rellenos de bacalao belong to the Navarra-Basque table: sweet roasted piquillo peppers filled with desalted cod, bound lightly, and finished in their own red sauce.
Chef Isabel
Gilda Basque Anchovy Olive Guindilla Skewer
Gilda is Basque, born in Donostia's bars: salted anchovy, manzanilla olive, and vinegar guindilla on one skewer. Use good conservas and keep the order tight: salt, acid, heat.
Chef Isabel
Banderilla Vasca
Banderilla Vasca is the Basque bar's cold skewer: piparra peppers, olives, pickled onion, gherkin, and anchovy threaded so every bite lands sharp, briny, and salty.
Chef Isabel
Hongos a la Plancha con Yema
Hongos a la plancha con yema is Basque, especially Donostia in autumn: wild mushrooms seared hard, not stewed, with garlic and a yolk that melts into the oil.
Chef Isabel
Pintxo Vasco de Solomillo a la Plancha
A Basque pintxo of solomillo seared hard on the plancha, set on bread with fried green pepper and coarse salt. The whole dish depends on a hot pan and a short rest.
Chef Isabel
Pintxo de Bacalao Confitado
This is Basque pintxo cooking: desalted bacalao held in warm olive oil with garlic and guindilla until it turns silky, then served on bread with its own glossy oil.
Chef Isabel
Pintxo de Idiazabal
This Basque pintxo is firm Idiazabal sheep's cheese with sweet membrillo on bread, held with a pick. The whole thing depends on the cheese: cut it thick, let it warm, and don't bury it.
Chef Isabel
Gulas al Ajillo Pintxo
This Basque pintxo is built on gulas, garlic, guindilla, and good olive oil, heaped on bread while glossy and warm. Keep the oil below a hard sizzle and it behaves.
Chef Isabel
Pincho Moruno Vasco
The Basque bar skewer with Moorish roots: pork stained red with pimentón, cumin, garlic, and oil, left overnight so the seasoning reaches the centre, then cooked hard and fast.
Chef Isabel
Txangurro Gratinado
Txangurro Gratinado is Basque celebration cooking: sweet spider crab folded into a slow onion, leek, tomato, and brandy sofrito, then browned on bread until the top turns crisp and golden.
Chef Isabel
Pincho de Txaka
Pincho de txaka is Basque, especially Donostia: surimi and boiled egg chopped fine with mayonnaise, set high on bread, and held together by one plain rule: cut it small.
Chef Isabel
Pintxo de Carrillera de Ternera
This Basque-Navarrese pintxo is beef cheek cooked low in red wine until it falls apart, then set on toasted bread with the sauce reduced until it shines.
Chef Isabel
Bilbainito
Bilbainito is Bilbao's tidy answer to the gilda: bread, mayonnaise, boiled egg, cooked prawn, and olive, speared together so the whole thing disappears in one bite.
Chef Isabel
Txistorra con Huevo de Codorniz
Navarra's txistorra pintxo is thin paprika sausage cooked gently until its red fat runs, set on toasted bread, and finished with a fried quail egg whose yolk does the sauce work.
Chef Isabel
Txalupa Donostiarra
Txalupa is Donostia's little Basque pastry boat: mushrooms cooked dry, prawns folded through thick cream, and a firm gratin top. Keep the filling spoonable, not runny, and it behaves.
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