Matrimonio Riojano de Logroño

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rimmed baking tray
• •Tongs
• •Small bowl for covering peppers
• •Bread knife
• •12 toothpicks

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the pepper

   Heat the grill or broiler to high. Put the whole peppers on a tray and turn them until the skins blister and blacken in patches, 12 to 15 minutes. Cover them in a bowl for 10 minutes, then peel, seed, and tear the flesh into 12 strips about the length of the bread. Dress with 15ml olive oil and the salt. If using jarred roasted peppers or piquillos, drain 220g and pat them dry; they are already cooked.

   Do not wash roasted peppers under the tap. You rinse away the roasted sweetness; wipe off stubborn bits of skin with your fingers or a towel.
2. 2

   Toast the bread

   Cut 12 slices of barra, each about 1.5cm thick. Brush one side lightly with 30ml olive oil in all and toast or griddle until the edges are crisp but the middle still has chew, 2 to 3 minutes. Rub once with the cut garlic if using it. Once is enough; garlic should not bully the anchovies.

3. 3

   Drain the fish

   Lift the anchoas from their oil and the boquerones from their vinegar marinade and lay them on a plate lined with kitchen paper for 5 minutes. Do not rinse oil-packed anchoas. The whole point is two cures meeting, salt-cured and vinegar-cured, so drain them enough to be clean, not enough to make them dull.

   If your anchoas are salt-packed, rinse quickly, pat dry, and cover with olive oil for 10 minutes before using. That is a different starting point from the oil-packed tins.
4. 4

   Build each pincho

   Lay one roasted pepper strip on each bread slice, trimming it so it does not hang too far over the edge. Set one boquerón and one anchoa on top, side by side or slightly crossed, with both visible. Fasten with a toothpick and spoon the remaining 15ml olive oil over the 12 pinchos, no more. Pésalo, no lo adivines; too much oil turns the bread heavy.

5. 5

   Serve at once

   Serve within 20 minutes, while the bread still has its bite and the pepper is sweet at room temperature. For a picnic, carry the bread, pepper, and fish separately and assemble when you sit down. Wet pinchos wait badly. Nadie nace sabiendo, but this one teaches you fast.

Chef Tips

• •Buy anchoas in olive oil with whole, meaty fillets, Cantabrian if you can find them. They should taste of clean salt and fish, not metal. A cheap tin makes the whole pincho thin.
• •Boquerones en vinagre should be refrigerated, pale, and firm, with a clear vinegar bite. If you make them from fresh anchovies, freeze first for safety; for a quick pincho, a good prepared tray is the home cook's friend.
• •No fresh pimiento riojano? Use jarred pimientos del piquillo or roasted red peppers. Piquillos are sweeter and softer, with less roasted edge, so use a narrow strip and pat it dry.
• •Assemble late. The bread is not a sponge, and the fish has already done its work in salt and vinegar. For outdoor eating, pack the parts separately and build the pinchos there.
• •Don't add mayonnaise, cheese, or sweet relish. Then you are covering the two anchovies, and the matrimonio becomes another thing.
• •Serve with Rioja joven, clarete, or a crisp white Rioja. Salty vinegar fish wants a wine that can keep up.

Advance Preparation

• •Roast and peel the peppers up to 3 days ahead. Store them covered with 15ml olive oil and the salt, then bring to room temperature and pat dry before using.
• •Slice the bread a few hours ahead if you like, but toast it near serving so the edges keep their bite.
• •Do not assemble more than 20 minutes ahead. For a picnic, keep the boquerones cold and pack the bread, pepper, and fish in separate containers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 55g)