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.
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Foie a la Plancha con Manzana
Created by
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.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Special Occasion
Celebration
Date Night
20 min
Active Time
8 min cook•40 min total
Yield8 pintxos
Foie a la plancha is Basque, a pintxo from the Donostia bar counter and the Nueva Cocina Vasca, not an old farmhouse stew and not a sweet little canapé pretending to be grand. It is thick foie, a hot iron surface, apple underneath to catch the fat, and salt. That is enough.
The method that decides it is heat. The plancha must be properly hot before the foie touches it, because you need browning in seconds, not a slow melt into the pan. Cut the foie thick, chill it hard, dry it well, and sear it fast. If you stand there admiring it, you'll lose it. Foie has no patience for nerves.
If you can't find fresh whole foie gras where you are, buy good frozen raw escalopes from a serious butcher or specialty shop and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. Don't use pâté, mousse, or torchon; those are already cooked or worked, and they won't sear into this pintxo. No hace falta haber pisado España. You need the right cut, a hot pan, and the discipline to stop on time. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Foie a la plancha belongs to the Basque Country's pintxo culture, especially the crowded bars of Donostia, where small bites are built for one or two mouthfuls but still demand proper cooking. The dish sits naturally with the Nueva Cocina Vasca, which brought restaurant precision to Basque market ingredients without cutting the tie to the bar counter. Apple is a Basque companion here for a reason: its acidity and sweetness cut the richness of foie, and cider country knows that balance well.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
raw fresh foie gras
Quantity
400g
cut into 8 thick escalopes of about 50g each
firm tart apples
Quantity
2, about 320g total
peeled, cored, cut into 8 thick slices
unsalted butter
Quantity
20g
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
10ml
Pedro Ximenez sherry or dry Basque cider
Quantity
15ml
fine salt
Quantity
4g
divided
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
2g
small slices crusty bread
Quantity
8
toasted
flaky sea salt
Quantity
to finish
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| raw fresh foie grascut into 8 thick escalopes of about 50g each | 400g |
| firm tart applespeeled, cored, cut into 8 thick slices | 2, about 320g total |
| unsalted butter | 20g |
| extra virgin olive oil | 10ml |
| Pedro Ximenez sherry or dry Basque cider | 15ml |
| fine saltdivided | 4g |
| freshly ground black pepper | 2g |
| small slices crusty breadtoasted | 8 |
| flaky sea salt | to finish |
Equipment Needed
- •Plancha or heavy cast-iron skillet
- •Thin fish spatula
- •Paper towels
- •Small frying pan for the apple
Instructions
- 1
Chill the foie
Lay the foie escalopes on a tray lined with paper and chill them uncovered for 20 minutes. They should feel firm and cold before they hit the pan. Pat them dry, then season both sides with 2g fine salt and the black pepper. Pésalo, no lo adivines; too much salt makes this heavy fast.
If using frozen raw escalopes, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped, then dry them well before seasoning. - 2
Cook the apple
Set a frying pan over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Cook the apple slices with the remaining 2g fine salt for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden at the edges and just tender, not collapsed. Add the Pedro Ximenez or cider and turn the slices once so they take on a light glaze. Keep them warm on the toasted bread.
- 3
Heat the plancha
Heat a plancha, cast-iron skillet, or heavy stainless pan over high heat until a drop of water skips and vanishes at once. Do not add oil. The foie carries its own fat, more than enough. Open a window if you need to; this is quick, rich cooking, not a quiet simmer.
- 4
Sear hard
Lay in the foie with space between the pieces and sear 25 to 35 seconds on the first side, until deeply browned. Turn once and sear 20 to 30 seconds more. The centre should still give softly when pressed. This is the whole dish: hard heat, short time. Longer cooking only melts your pintxo into the pan.
- 5
Build the pintxos
Lift the foie onto paper for 5 seconds, then set one piece on each apple-topped toast. Finish with a few grains of flaky sea salt and serve at once, while the browned outside still has a little crisp edge and the inside is soft. Tal como se hace allí, without fuss.
Chef Tips
- •Buy raw foie gras escalopes, not pâté, mousse, or torchon. Those are different preparations and they won't sear into this Basque pintxo.
- •The apple should be tart and firm. Reineta is right if you can find it; Granny Smith or Braeburn works abroad, with a sharper, cleaner bite.
- •Use a plancha or cast iron that holds heat. A thin pan cools when the foie lands, and then the fat melts before the surface browns.
- •Serve this immediately. Foie a la plancha does not wait politely on a platter; it gives you its best minute and then starts to sag.
Advance Preparation
- •Slice the apples and keep them in cold water with a squeeze of lemon for up to 2 hours, then dry them very well before cooking.
- •Toast the bread up to 1 hour ahead and keep it uncovered so it stays crisp.
- •Season and sear the foie only at the last moment. This part cannot be made ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 95g)
Calories
290 calories
Total Fat
22 g
Saturated Fat
8 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
14 g
Cholesterol
80 mg
Sodium
400 mg
Total Carbohydrates
16 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
5 g
Protein
7 g
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