Latest news with #BasqueCuisine
CNN
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Don't call these small plates ‘tapas.' They're pinxtos
The Basque people, among the oldest cultures in not just Spain but all of Europe, have their own way of doing things. Take the Basque Country tradition of pinxtos. A pinxto (meaning 'spike' in the Basque language) is a small snack, often served on a toothpick. It's meant to be eaten in a bite or two, standing up at a bar, before moving onto the next destination. You might be tempted to compare pinxtos to tapas, another Spanish tradition of small plates. But as Eva Longoria learned while filming in San Sebastián for 'Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain,' that would be a mistake. 'Don't you dare call a pinxto a tapa,' she tells CNN. 'You will get run out of Basque Country.' Bar hopping is a crucial component of the pinxto experience, and Longoria embarked on a pinxto tour in San Sebastián with the expert guidance of Marti Buckley, an American food writer who has lived in San Sebastián for 15 years. What distinguishes a pinxto from a tapa is its composition. While a tapa is often a single food like jamón or garlic shrimp, a pinxto is a more elaborate culinary creation. The Gilda, a classic pinxto named for the 1946 film starring Rita Hayworth, arranges a manzanilla olive, pickled guindilla peppers and a salty Cantabrian anchovy on a skewer in the shape of a woman's body. Another pinxto called La Delicia layers a salt-cured anchovy, hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise and an onion-parsley vinaigrette atop a piece of bread. Yet another is a deep-fried piquillo pepper stuffed with meat. 'So much artistry goes into these tiny bites. It has to be an explosion of flavors in one bite,' Longoria says. 'That's what a pinxto is: a gourmet bite.' The best pinxto bars are each known among locals for a signature offering. But in Basque Country, pinxtos are more than innovative bar snacks. They're a celebration of culture and identity — and a way of life. 'Pinxtos are not only a 'what,' they are where you eat them and what you are doing when you eat them — they are inextricable from their cultural context,' Buckley writes in her cookbook 'The Book of Pinxtos.' In other words, a pinxto is not a pinxto without the bar that's serving it or without good company to share it with. Here, Buckley shares a recipe for tosta de bogavante, served at the award-winning Bar Zeruko in San Sebastián. She describes it in her cookbook as 'a Connecticut-style lobster roll with a Mediterranean mayo dollop.' Enjoy it with a glass of chilled cava or champagne. This recipe is courtesy of writer Marti Buckley, from her 2024 cookbook 'The Book of Pinxtos.' Makes 6 servings. Ingredients 1 large egg, at room temperature 3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower or other neutral oil Kosher salt 1 tablespoon cava, at room temperature 1 tablespoon fish or lobster stock (see Notes) A lemon wedge (optional) Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 small round rustic loaf or ciabatta, sliced into 6 pieces 9 ounces (255 g) freshly cooked lobster meat (from arms and knuckles; see Notes), broken into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups) 1/4 cup (60 ml) parsley oil (see Notes) Flaky sea salt Special Equipment: A pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or a ziplock bag Instructions Crack the egg into a tall cylindrical container. Add the sunflower oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Insert an immersion blender into the container so it touches the bottom and, without moving it, blend on the lowest setting. Once the mayonnaise is almost totally emulsified, move the blender slowly up and down to incorporate the remaining oil. (Alternatively, use a regular blender: Combine the egg and salt in the blender and, with the blender running, slowly stream in the oil through the hole in the lid.) Add the cava and stock and blend well. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or lemon juice if necessary. Transfer the aioli to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or a ziplock bag. If making ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to use; if using a ziplock bag, cut off the tip of one of the bottom corners before piping the aioli. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the slices of bread and toast, allowing them to color slightly before turning them to toast the other side. Transfer to a plate. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan, then add the lobster, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Sear for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pipe a zigzag bed of aioli onto each piece of bread. Divide the seared lobster among the pieces of bread, drizzle with the parsley oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve. Notes You can buy already-cooked lobster or cook a 1½-pound (680 g) lobster yourself. Be careful not to overcook it. If cooking a whole lobster, instead of using fish stock for the aioli, after removing the meat from the shell, boil the lobster shells in a pot of water for about 5 minutes. Strain and use the resulting lobster 'stock' in the aioli. If using frozen precooked lobster, allow it to thaw completely before using it here. To make the parsley oil, combine the leaves from 1 bunch of parsley, 1 sliced garlic clove and ½ cup (120 ml) of olive oil in a food processor or using an immersion blender. Process until the parsley is in tiny pieces. Transfer to a squirt bottle or a jar with a lid. This makes about ½ cup (120 ml) of parsley oil and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
CNN
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Don't call these small plates ‘tapas.' They're pinxtos
The Basque people, among the oldest cultures in not just Spain but all of Europe, have their own way of doing things. Take the Basque Country tradition of pinxtos. A pinxto (meaning 'spike' in the Basque language) is a small snack, often served on a toothpick. It's meant to be eaten in a bite or two, standing up at a bar, before moving onto the next destination. You might be tempted to compare pinxtos to tapas, another Spanish tradition of small plates. But as Eva Longoria learned while filming in San Sebastián for 'Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain,' that would be a mistake. 'Don't you dare call a pinxto a tapa,' she tells CNN. 'You will get run out of Basque Country.' Bar hopping is a crucial component of the pinxto experience, and Longoria embarked on a pinxto tour in San Sebastián with the expert guidance of Marti Buckley, an American food writer who has lived in San Sebastián for 15 years. What distinguishes a pinxto from a tapa is its composition. While a tapa is often a single food like jamón or garlic shrimp, a pinxto is a more elaborate culinary creation. The Gilda, a classic pinxto named for the 1946 film starring Rita Hayworth, arranges a manzanilla olive, pickled guindilla peppers and a salty Cantabrian anchovy on a skewer in the shape of a woman's body. Another pinxto called La Delicia layers a salt-cured anchovy, hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise and an onion-parsley vinaigrette atop a piece of bread. Yet another is a deep-fried piquillo pepper stuffed with meat. 'So much artistry goes into these tiny bites. It has to be an explosion of flavors in one bite,' Longoria says. 'That's what a pinxto is: a gourmet bite.' The best pinxto bars are each known among locals for a signature offering. But in Basque Country, pinxtos are more than innovative bar snacks. They're a celebration of culture and identity — and a way of life. 'Pinxtos are not only a 'what,' they are where you eat them and what you are doing when you eat them — they are inextricable from their cultural context,' Buckley writes in her cookbook 'The Book of Pinxtos.' In other words, a pinxto is not a pinxto without the bar that's serving it or without good company to share it with. Here, Buckley shares a recipe for tosta de bogavante, served at the award-winning Bar Zeruko in San Sebastián. She describes it in her cookbook as 'a Connecticut-style lobster roll with a Mediterranean mayo dollop.' Enjoy it with a glass of chilled cava or champagne. This recipe is courtesy of writer Marti Buckley, from her 2024 cookbook 'The Book of Pinxtos.' Makes 6 servings. Ingredients 1 large egg, at room temperature 3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower or other neutral oil Kosher salt 1 tablespoon cava, at room temperature 1 tablespoon fish or lobster stock (see Notes) A lemon wedge (optional) Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 small round rustic loaf or ciabatta, sliced into 6 pieces 9 ounces (255 g) freshly cooked lobster meat (from arms and knuckles; see Notes), broken into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups) 1/4 cup (60 ml) parsley oil (see Notes) Flaky sea salt Special Equipment: A pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or a ziplock bag Instructions Crack the egg into a tall cylindrical container. Add the sunflower oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Insert an immersion blender into the container so it touches the bottom and, without moving it, blend on the lowest setting. Once the mayonnaise is almost totally emulsified, move the blender slowly up and down to incorporate the remaining oil. (Alternatively, use a regular blender: Combine the egg and salt in the blender and, with the blender running, slowly stream in the oil through the hole in the lid.) Add the cava and stock and blend well. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or lemon juice if necessary. Transfer the aioli to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or a ziplock bag. If making ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to use; if using a ziplock bag, cut off the tip of one of the bottom corners before piping the aioli. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the slices of bread and toast, allowing them to color slightly before turning them to toast the other side. Transfer to a plate. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan, then add the lobster, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Sear for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pipe a zigzag bed of aioli onto each piece of bread. Divide the seared lobster among the pieces of bread, drizzle with the parsley oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve. Notes You can buy already-cooked lobster or cook a 1½-pound (680 g) lobster yourself. Be careful not to overcook it. If cooking a whole lobster, instead of using fish stock for the aioli, after removing the meat from the shell, boil the lobster shells in a pot of water for about 5 minutes. Strain and use the resulting lobster 'stock' in the aioli. If using frozen precooked lobster, allow it to thaw completely before using it here. To make the parsley oil, combine the leaves from 1 bunch of parsley, 1 sliced garlic clove and ½ cup (120 ml) of olive oil in a food processor or using an immersion blender. Process until the parsley is in tiny pieces. Transfer to a squirt bottle or a jar with a lid. This makes about ½ cup (120 ml) of parsley oil and will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Times
13-05-2025
- Times
17 of the best things to do in Bilbao
As Spain's tenth biggest city, and much smaller than Madrid and Barcelona, Bilbao is an easy, manageable place to explore. It's best known for its bravura Guggenheim Museum: an edifice of silver scales and glinting shards that put its port on the tourist map when it opened in 1997 — the world-renowned contemporary art gallery was part of Bilbao's transformation from a dilapidated industrial area to a cosmopolitan metropolis. Today, the buoyant northern port traces a twisting Nervion River inland and its old town, quays and island are ever more cool, cultured and interesting. The city is a brilliant mix of grit and glamour, ideal for a weekend break or as a base for a longer holiday exploring Spain's northern coastal area. Start by getting stuck into the fabulous local cuisine: soak up the atmosphere in sunlit plazas with a crisp Basque white wine and a table piled high with pintxos (regional tapas dishes). Bilbao is also home to the extensive Mercado de la Ribera, one of Spain's largest food markets, and excellent Michelin-recognised restaurants. Spend days marvelling at the city's fine architecture — its unique Unesco-listed bridge, the old town — and myriad art galleries, before heading further out to explore beaches, salt flats, caves and film locations along the coast. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue This stunning arcaded plaza was the historic quarter's main square; today it's still one of Bilbao's best social hubs, retaining all its liveliness and popularity. Built in the mid-19th century, its 64 neoclassical arches and porticos are chock-full of iconic bars, cafés and restaurants. Here you'll find locals sipping vermouth on sunny evenings, catching up with friends and watching their kids kick a ball about with competitive glee. On Sundays, the plaza becomes a thriving street market hawking antiques, collectables and curios. You'll know when an Athletic Bilbao game is on in the city: buildings, plazas, streets and people are adorned in red and white stripes. The football club is one of the most successful in Spain, having won eight La Liga titles, 24 Copa del Rey titles, and is one of only three founding members of the Primera Division to have never been relegated since it began (alongside big-hitters Real Madrid and Barcelona). It's no surprise, then, that the team — known as Los Leones — has a very dedicated following. Join their superfans for a game at the Estadio San Mamés if your visit coincides, or partake in post-game revelries. Across Puente de Ribera bridge from the Casco Viejo (old town) is Marzana — a rejuvenated quayside district known as 'Bilbao's Soho'. Free-thinking counterculture holds sway here: deconsecrated churches host concerts or unusual exhibitions while once-drab walls display works by international street artists. It's well worth signing up for a guided walk to see the best of those. For additional indie kicks, head north to Zorrotzaurre, where a sustainable flea market is held in the old Artiach biscuit factory, and to the nearby quarter of Olabeaga for its enormous, iconic Soñar (or Dream) mural. A cable car makes it easy to attain Monte Artxanda's 250m (850ft) summit and to relish regal views over Bilbao. From up there you can get a sense, on clear days, of the snaking Nervion River and its estuary, as well as gaze at the Guggenheim, the cathedral-like San Mamés football stadium, Bilbao's various bridges and the vineyard-streaked Txorierri valley. Look out too for The Digital Footprint, a sculpture commemorating the Civil War bombardment of 1936. Those on guided tours soon head back down to explore the Casco Viejo; everyone else can contentedly clinks glasses of txakoli, a slightly sparkling Basque white wine, in a hilltop restaurant. The 700-year-old Siete Calles are seven sinewy lanes that form part of the Casco Viejo and have long been at Bilbao's commercial heart. The former premises of merchants and shipping magnates in Barrenkale Barrena, Barrenkale, Carniceria Vieja, Belostikale, Tenderia, Artekale and Somera are today upscale boutiques and lively pintxos bars, and you're sure to find yourself delving down these ancient streets again and again. They're also home to Bilbao's best historic monuments, like the Church of San Antón and the surprisingly easy to miss 14th-century Catedral de Santiago — at the top of Harategi Zahar Kalea and worth a look for its lovely cloisters alone. Bilbao was once seriously down-at-heel and you wouldn't have lingered beside the Nervion River, but its dilapidated warehouse-scape is now perhaps the main reason you're here. The jaw-dropping Guggenheim Museum rears up riverside, all undulating walls and titanium-tiled canopies, winking at you in the sunshine and bringing to mind flying fish or the bow of a ship (architect Frank Gehry was inspired by the city's shipbuilding and fishing heritage). Inside can be somewhat intimidating unless you really know your contemporary art, so it's worth booking a guided tour. Even better, you'll skip the queue, which is often intense, especially on rainy summer days. This is a foodie city, and you're here to eat. But don't get too comfortable: dinner in Bilbao is best enjoyed on foot, as you head from bar to bar ordering pintxos (snack-size dishes generally served on sticks) and glasses of wine. You'll miss the current hotspots if you don't enlist a local, so book a tour and expect to enjoy delicacies such as mussels fried with breadcrumbs, chistorra sausages and marinated anchovies. Basque cuisine also involves cod in numerous forms — atop toasted bread or with garlic mayonnaise, perhaps — and plenty of croquettes. Don't miss the chance for a glass of txakoli. You know a market is good when it attracts top local chefs in the morning, and the Mercado de la Ribera is known for being where the best get their fresh produce. Come early (it opens at 8am) and follow your senses, being drawn in by the bright greens of the Basque peppers on the vegetable stalls or by the salty tang of the shellfish counters. Stock up for a picnic or head upstairs to the gastrobars for pintxos — La Bodeguilla does an excellent traditional gilda (olive, anchovy and pepper on a skewer). The Museo de Bellas Artes may not be the best-known of Bilbao's art museums but many locals not-so-secretly prefer it to the Guggenheim, as well as rating its exhibitions above those of its glitzy sibling. It's likely because the Museo de Bellas Artes, unlike the Guggenheim, houses Spanish fine arts including works by Francisco Goya, Diego Velazquez and El Greco. The crowds tend to congregate at Goya's Portrait of Martin Zapater and El Greco's colourful masterpiece The Annunciation, but head to the Basque Collection and you'll often get the local artist Eduardo Chillida's striking sculpture to yourself. • Europe's best cities for art lovers Heading out of town to visit a bridge might not sound worth your time, but even the least invested in engineering nerdery are sure to be impressed by the Vizcaya. Designed by the Basque architect Alberto de Palacio in 1893, this was the world's first bridge to use a hanging transporter to ferry people across the water and it's earned Unesco world heritage status for its unique history. It's also a fun visit, providing the chance to walk 50m (164ft) above the city — the views of the surrounding mountains are glorious — or board the gondola to be whisked across in just 90 seconds. Even if you don't know much about wine, you're sure to have heard of Rioja — Spain's most famous wine region, known for its full-bodied, blood-coloured reds. Top bodegas include Marques de Riscal — a producer of a cracking barrel-aged tempranillo and with a building reminiscent of the Guggenheim thanks to its rippling Frank Gehry design — and Ysios, which makes dense, tannin-rich reds and a lovely garnatxa rosé. Thanks to its location about 90 minutes' drive south of Bilbao, there are numerous tours from the city, so you can avoid squabbling over who has to drive. Game of Thrones fan? Then you'll already know that San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is the real-life Dragonstone, where Daenerys and Jon Snow meet for the first time. This tiny, hermitage-topped island connected to the Basque coast by a spindly causeway is just 40 minutes northeast of Bilbao and is surrounded by other Game of Thrones filming locations. These include wild and sandy La Muriola beach, seen in season seven, and fossil-strewn Itzurun beach, which was formed some 60 million years ago and is the backdrop to Daenerys setting foot on her true home for the first time. Thanks to Picasso you've almost certainly heard of Gernika (Guernica in Spanish), and of the horrific bombing attack that took place here during the Spanish Civil War. But you might not realise that this area is also home to the neolithic cave paintings of Cuevas de Santimamiñe, which rival the more famous ones of Altamira, and the bird-packed wetlands of Urdaibai, a Unesco biosphere reserve. Both are worth a detour, while back in town you can visit the Gernika Peace Museum, inspired by the 1937 bombing but now committed to pacifism, where you can see a ceramic-tile replica of Picasso's painting. One of the world's oldest salt-producing areas is the Salinas de Añana, close to the capital of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz. These salt flats have been farmed for some 6,500 years and are a spectacular sight, the tumbling terraces as white as freshly fallen snow and as smooth as the top of a perfectly iced cake. Take a tour and not only will you learn how the salt is produced and taste the different types, you will also be able to dip your feet in the brine. A little more than an hour's drive along the coast from Bilbao (with regular bus transfers on hand) is its captivating neighbour Donostia-San Sebastian. It's a bike-friendly place, criss-crossed by some 18 miles of cycle lanes that will take you to all the highlights, from the crescent of buttery sands at La Concha beach to lofty Monte Igueldo for stonking sunset views and the chance to ride the funicular railway. Finish up in the old town, where you'll find the city's best pintxos bars — try the prawns at Bar Goiz-Argi and anchovies at Bar Txepetxa. • Discover our full guide to San Sebastian• Best hotels in San Sebastian A pintxos crawl can be tiring, so make lunch a sit-down affair, driving along the coast for an hour to Getaria for a seafood feast. This fishing town is known for its unique wall-mounted grills, seen around the city centre and fired up daily when the catch comes in. Take a table on the terrace at the harbourfront Txoko Getaria restaurant and order sea bream, monkfish or cod. It comes grilled, alongside potatoes and a green pepper and onion stew-style dish called piperade. Hit the beach afterwards, or walk up to the Cristobal Balenciaga museum (closed annually in January and February) to see dresses created by the world-famous Getaria-born designer. Bilbao's Teatro Arriaga is one of Spain's finest theatres and features a line-up of world-class performances, from musical comedy to jazz improvisation. Named after Basque composer Juan Crisostomo de Arriaga (known as the 'Spanish Mozart'), this neo-baroque opera house was built in 1890 and is an opulent icon, from its creamy stone façade to its gorgeous costume collection. The fascinating guided tour is a steal at just over £4 (free for under-18s) and runs in English as well as Basque and Spanish. Additional reporting by Richard Mellor and Jo Davey • Great hotels in Bilbao• Best walking holidays in Spain
