Gilda: The Queen of Pintxos

The Gilda is perhaps the most iconic pintxo in all of Donostia-San Sebastián, and its story is as delightful as its simplicity. Born sometime in the 1940s at Bar Casa Vallés (some say Txepetxa), this humble skewer was named after Rita Hayworth's character in the 1946 film Gilda – supposedly because both were "salty, spicy, and a little sharp."

Gilda has all you need in one bite - THE perfect balance: briney, saltiness of anchovy, the kinda creamy oily flavourful olive, and the gentle heat and sour hit of the pickled guindilla pepper. It embodies the Basque philosophy of txikiteo – the art of going from bar to bar, enjoying small bites with friends and conversation flowing as freely as the Txakoli wine or Sidra.

To eat - you usually pop the whole packed skewer into your mouth at once. Some bars are making them a little more fancy with a theme or extra elements. You can also buy them at deli's and packed ready to go at various pickle and wine shops. At one Pintxos bar we went to last time they'd made one in honour of a famous Spanish cyclist who won the Tour de France five times - Miguel Indurián. (see below) it's in the shape of cyclist - and has a large, high end piece of preserved tuna at the bottom.

They're often served on a slice of bread to hold the drippings, sometimes just on a plate. In my experience or preference - you pop the whole thing in your mouth at once. YUM. We served them at Jeffs retirement party (along with salt cod croquettes and other Basque style Piintxos), and whilst people hadn't really had them before they were so popular, the first plate emptied.

What is a Pintxo?

Pintxos (pronounced "peen-chos") are the Basque Country's answer to Spain's tapas, but with their own distinct character. The word comes from the Basque verb "pinch" – to pierce or spike – as these small bites traditionally, and often sit atop a slice of bread, held together with a toothpick or skewer. They can be very simple - but are often, due to the popularity of bar hopping to get the best Pintxos - very elaborate.

While tapas across Spain might be served in small dishes or plates, pintxos in Donostia-San Sebastián are typically displayed on the bar counter, where you help yourself. It's a more casual, convivial affair than formal tapas dining.

This culture of small, beautifully crafted bites exists worldwide, right? We do that at home sometimes to eat in front of a movie - a chip, mayo and pickled mussel is a favourite. In Japan there is an izakaya style food - tsukidashi (small appetizers) and otsumami (drinking snacks) designed to complement sake and beer - a plate of edamame, variety of pickles, chicken on skewers for example. Also brings to mind France's fine dining tradition offering the amuse-bouche (literally "mouth amuser"), a single, exquisite bite from the chef (or host) before the meal begins; Venice has its cicchetti served in wine bars; the Middle East shares mezze platters.

What makes Basque pintxos unique is the sheer creativity packed into each small creation, the competitive artistry between bars, and the ritual of the txikiteo – moving from bar to bar, sampling one or two pintxos at each stop while the evening unfolds.

The Recipe

Ingredients (per pintxo):

1 good quality anchovy fillet in olive oil
1 manzanilla olive, pitted (we just use whatever we can get tbh)
1 pickled guindilla pepper (Basque green pepper - harder to find but available here
A cocktail stick or skewer

Method:

Thread the ingredients onto the skewer in this order: olive, anchovy (folded if long), guindilla. The traditional Gilda is exactly this – nothing more, nothing less..

Serving:

Serve on a small plate, perhaps with a few more skewered alongside, and always with a glass of crisp txakoli or a small beer (zurito). The Gilda is meant to be eaten in one or two bites, enjoyed standing at the bar, punctuating lively conversation.

The beauty is in the quality of ingredients and the centuries-old preservation techniques – the curing, the brining, the pickling – that make this simple pintxo sing.

Some modern variations might add a pickled onion or swap the manzanilla for an arbequina olive,(or whatever you can get - no pips please). Purists (who are they?) will tell you that a true Gilda needs only these three elements.

Serving:

You can get all of the ingredients here - or from Spanish deli's - do use the best anchovies and other ingredients you can - as it really is just the ingredients together that make the dish - no cooking, no adding spices etc.

About the Guindilla Pepper

The guindilla pepper used in a Gilda is not the same as those famous blistered peppers you'll find served on plates across Basque bars – those are pimientos de Padrón.

Guindillas are slender, mild green peppers that have been pickled in vinegar brine. They're preserved when young and tender, developing a tangy, slightly spicy flavor that cuts through the richness of the anchovy and olive. The pickling process transforms them into something altogether different from their fresh counterparts – they become an essential condiment, a sharp and vibrant note in the Gilda's flavor symphony. I have a large jar at hand and chop them into a kraut (see Gilda Kraut) or dish I feel deserves this flavour profile.

Pimientos de Padrón, on the other hand, are those small, wrinkled green peppers flash-fried in olive oil until their skins blister and char, then showered with flaky sea salt. They're served hot and eaten whole, stems and all. There's a famous Galician saying about them: "Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non" – "Padrón peppers, some are hot and some are not." It's a delicious gamble, as most are mild but the occasional pepper delivers a surprising kick.

Both peppers are beloved in Basque cuisine, but they serve entirely different purposes. The pickled guindilla is all about preservation and acidity, while the Padrón is about the elemental pleasure of fire, oil, and salt meeting fresh vegetable.