Chef Isabel
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Pintxo de Idiazabal
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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.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Quick Meal
Dinner Party
Date Night
15 min
Active Time
5 min cook•20 min total
Yield12 pintxos
Pintxo de Idiazabal is Basque, from the bar counter and the home table both: firm ewe's milk cheese, often lightly smoky, set against membrillo, quince paste, and pinned to bread. That's the pintxo. Not a little tower, not a sweet canapé, not a trick. One good cheese, one clean sweetness, one bite you can hold in your hand.
The method that decides it is proportion. Idiazabal has salt, fat, and that mountain sharpness from Latxa or Carranzana ewe's milk, so the membrillo must sit beside it, not cover it. Cut the cheese thicker than the quince. Let it come out of the fridge before you serve it, because cold cheese tastes half asleep. Toast the bread lightly and let it cool, or the cheese sweats and the bite goes soft.
If you can't find Idiazabal where you are, use Roncal first, then a firm Manchego curado if that is what the shop has. Roncal keeps you close to the northern sheep-cheese family; Manchego is rounder and sweeter, so cut the membrillo a little thinner. No hace falta haber pisado España. Buy well, cut cleanly, and pin it simply. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Idiazabal is the protected ewe's milk cheese of the Basque Country and Navarra, traditionally made from Latxa or Carranzana sheep and often associated with the upland shepherding life of the northern mountains. Smoking came from the old mountain huts, where cheeses cured near the hearth and took on a gentle wood-smoke character, though unsmoked Idiazabal is also part of the tradition. Membrillo, quince paste, belongs to the Spanish preserving larder, and its firm sweetness has long been a natural match for salty aged sheep cheese.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Idiazabal cheese
Quantity
180g
cut into 12 thick slices
membrillo (quince paste)
Quantity
90g
cut into 12 thinner slices
baguette or barra slices
Quantity
12 slices
about 1cm thick
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1 tablespoon
walnuts (optional)
Quantity
30g
broken into 12 pieces
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Idiazabal cheesecut into 12 thick slices | 180g |
| membrillo (quince paste)cut into 12 thinner slices | 90g |
| baguette or barra slicesabout 1cm thick | 12 slices |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1 tablespoon |
| walnuts (optional)broken into 12 pieces | 30g |
Equipment Needed
- •Small sharp knife
- •12 wooden pintxo picks
- •Grill pan, toaster, or oven tray
Instructions
- 1
Warm the cheese
Take the Idiazabal out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Cut it into 12 pieces of about 15g each, thick enough to taste as cheese and not just as salt. Pésalo, no lo adivines. Weigh it, don't guess, because the balance matters here.
- 2
Slice the membrillo
Cut the membrillo into 12 pieces of about 7g each, thinner than the cheese. It should give sweetness and a little shine, not turn the pintxo into dessert. If it sticks to the knife, wipe the blade with a little oil.
- 3
Toast the bread
Brush the bread very lightly with olive oil and toast it until the surface is dry and pale gold, about 2 minutes per side under a grill or in a hot dry pan. Let it cool for a few minutes. Warm bread softens the membrillo and makes the cheese sweat, and that is not the bite you came for.
Use a bread with a firm crumb. A soft sandwich loaf collapses under the pick and gives you a mouthful of sugar and wool. - 4
Pin the pintxos
Set one slice of Idiazabal on each toast, lay the membrillo on top or just slightly off-centre, and add a walnut piece if you're using it. Pierce each one straight down with a wooden pick. Serve at room temperature, while the cheese is fragrant and the toast still has its bite.
Chef Tips
- •Buy Idiazabal DOP if you can, smoked or unsmoked. Smoked gives the pintxo its firm Basque character; unsmoked is still right, just cleaner and milkier.
- •If Idiazabal is out of reach, use Roncal first. Manchego curado works at a pinch, but it is sweeter and rounder, so use a little less membrillo.
- •Do not serve the cheese fridge-cold. Thirty minutes on the counter wakes up the fat and aroma, and the pintxo tastes like itself again.
Advance Preparation
- •Cut the cheese and membrillo up to 4 hours ahead and keep them covered separately in the refrigerator.
- •Toast the bread up to 1 hour ahead, then assemble just before serving so the bread stays crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 34g)
Calories
145 calories
Total Fat
8 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
4 g
Cholesterol
15 mg
Sodium
220 mg
Total Carbohydrates
14 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
5 g
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