Go Back
Print Pin

‘Pintxos Gilda’ con El Toca del Andy – Sherry Pickled Garlic Olives, Anchovies & Guindilla Pepper Skewers

These traditional Basque-region “Pintxos Gilda” are easy to make at home,
assuming you try your hardest to source the proper ingredients. If you don’t enjoy
high-quality anchovies preserved in oil, or beautiful Manzanilla olives, or pickled
guindilla peppers from the Basque region of Spain, this recipe isn’t for you.
If, however, your heart understands what high-quality preserved anchovies mean in
the grander scheme of things, and you are looking for a means to temporarily
transport yourself and your closest companions to the Basque region, gather the
ingredients and prepare this amazing, bite-sized appetizer platter for the next
gathering you host with guests who enjoy great food.
The change I humbly offer to the perfected pintxos Gilda classic is a bit of added
sherry vinegar-pickled garlic, along with a few added finely-sliced chives to finish.
All you need to make this appetizer are the ingredients, and some short
skewers—No oven or stovetop required.
The following recipe makes eight skewers, and can easily be scaled up or down.
You can scale this up and make this for 10,000 people for a catering event and kill
it.

Ingredients

  • ½ clove garlic (sliced as finely as possible and minced)
  • ½ tsp sherry vinegar
  • 8 four-inch skewers
  • 16 Manzanilla olives (pitted)
  • 8 high-quality Spanish anchovies (preserved in olive oil)
  • 16 pickled Guindilla peppers (or pickled Italian friggitello (pepperoncini) peppers)
  • 1 fresh chive (sliced as finely as possible, as garnish)
  • 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil of preference (for finishing before serving)

Instructions 

  • Slice the half clove of garlic finely, and then mince the finely-sliced garlic.
  • Place the garlic in a small bowl with ½ teaspoon of sherry vinegar.
  • Allow the garlic to marinate in the vinegar for five minutes at room temperature.
  • Drain the pitted Manzanilla olives, and mix thoroughly with the minced garlic and sherry vinegar.
  • Add one garlic-coated olive to the bottom of each skewer.
  • Add one anchovy to each skewer, snaking the anchovy along the skewer twice to create a loose “W” shape with the skewered anchovy.
  • *The anchovy will sit above the first garlic-coated olive on each skewer.
  • Add one pickled Guindilla pepper to each skewer, snaking the pepper on the skewer once, so it forms an “S” shape.
  • *The pickled pepper will sit above the anchovy on the skewer.
  • Add another garlic-coated olive to top-off the skewer. This will serve as the “top” of your “Pintxos Gila” skewer.
  • Align the skewers on a platter.
  • Drizzle the skewers with a small quantity of nice olive oil when you are ready to serve.
  • Sprinkle a few finely-sliced chives on top, and serve—With napkins—because we want to host and serve folks amazing food in a manner aligned with how we would ideally like to be served in a perfect world. People that like Spanish food will like this.

Notes

Because the ingredients involved in this appetizer are preserved and/or pickled, it is best to assemble these relatively soon before serving. If you leave them for too long, some of the oils and pickling liquids will run out on the serving plate.
Instead of using anchovies with these skewers, I often prefer to use boquerones, or vinegar-cured anchovies, which have a fresher and less-salty taste. These gems are generally very expensive, but you can make them at home if you have access to very fresh anchovies and have the courage to dive into home-curing—go for it!
Pickled green guindilla peppers from the Basque region of Spain can be hard to source locally. They store and ship well once pickled, and you can find them online. You can try to substitute the guindilla peppers with any pickled long green pepper with a mild spice profile, such as pickled Italian friggitello (pepperoncini) peppers. Even with friggitello (pepperoncini) peppers, you can get a sense of the authentic taste in the appetizer, although the pepper variety is not the same.