Gilda – A Spanish appetizer

One of my courses is called “International Cuisine.” As part of this course, we participate in cooking workshops featuring various world cuisines, led by a specialized chef who teaches us about traditional ingredients and preparation methods. By the following week, we have to create our own fine-dining menu, taking into account a list of ingredients that will be available and a number of elements that must be included in our menu. Last week, it was Basque cuisine’s turn. 

The Basque Country is a region in northern Spain, bordering France, with a very interesting culinary history. A typical feature of the region is pintxos (the Basque term for tapas), which consist of various dishes served in smaller portions. The Gilda is usually served as one of the first pintxos of the evening. Traditionally, it consists of an anchovy, an olive, and a guindilla pepper on a skewer. This dish was the first course of my interpretation of Basque cuisine. It’s an original twist on the classic Gilda. 

I always try to test out my ideas in advance over the weekend. There are always little details that I tweak to showcase the products in the best possible way. It’s also the ideal way to test out my vision for how I want to plate the dishes before I actually present them to the chefs. 

This dish is no exception. I thought it looked so nice that I took a picture of it. And honestly, it tastes too good not to share with you. So here you go—enjoy… This is a dish full of character, featuring typical flavors from Basque cuisine, served to perfection. Oh, and the pewter tableware used to belong to my grandparents. 

The Recipe

Ingredients (per Gilda)

• 1 anchovy
• Juice from ¼ lemon
• ½ tsp sumac
• 2^cm²of sweet pointed bell pepper
• 2 g vanilla sugar
• 1 mustard leaf*

Preparation: (10 minutes)

1. Peel the pointed bell pepper and cut it into^{2-centimeter-square} pieces.
2. Place the pointed bell pepper in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. Let it cook, but make sure it doesn't turn mushy. Add the vanilla sugar at the end and let it caramelize. 
3. Season the mustard greens with lemon juice and sumac. 
4. Now skewer a piece of bell pepper, an elegantly rolled mustard leaf, and an anchovy onto the satay skewer. 

Enjoy your meal!

*I bought it at the organic grocery store and I'm a huge fan of its spicy and tangy flavor. If you really can't find mustard greens, you can use iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce. 

Zoë, what should I do with the leftover ingredients?

• Anchovies

To use up the leftovers, you can combine them with this vegetable wrap or the mackerel on this pizza by using anchovies instead. 

• Lemon 

A splash of lemon juice makes any dish taste better. Try it, for example, with these hard-boiled eggs with sumac and lamb's lettuce. 

• Pointed bell pepper

Add the rest of the bell pepper to this vegetable curry or this one-pot dish with pasta, spinach, and mushrooms. 

• Mustard Leaf

This will be really delicious in this quick salad but also with this  acai puree with beets and parsnips.