Chef-tested recipe
A sharp, salty Basque pintxo of guindilla pepper, anchovy and green olive
I make Gildas when I want a small bite with no unnecessary decoration. This San Sebastián classic depends entirely on balance: fruity green olive, savory anchovy and the bright vinegar heat of guindilla pepper. Use good preserved ingredients, drain them well and assemble them shortly before serving.
Before you begin
Gather everything first so assembly stays clean and consistent.
01
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Drain the olives and guindillas thoroughly so brine does not dilute the flavor. Keep the anchovy fillets whole and blot only excess surface oil. Fold rather than chop the peppers so every skewer keeps the classic shape and balance.
Drain the olives and guindillas in separate fine-mesh sieves for 5 minutes. Lay the anchovies on a plate and lightly blot excess oil with kitchen paper.
Trim only excessively long pepper stems. Fold each guindilla once or twice without breaking it.
Thread one olive onto a wooden cocktail pick, followed by one folded anchovy and one folded guindilla. Pass the pick through the ingredients again if needed so they sit securely.
Arrange the Gildas on a serving plate and drizzle lightly with the extra-virgin olive oil.
Rest at cool room temperature for 10 minutes before serving so the anchovy and olive are not refrigerator-cold.
Serve the Gildas on a small chilled plate as part of a pintxos spread. Bread can sit alongside the platter, but it is not traditionally threaded onto the skewer.
Assemble no more than 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then bring out 10 minutes before serving. Do not freeze.
Contains fish. Bottled peppers and olives may contain sulfites; check individual labels when cooking for guests with sensitivities.
Usually not. Traditional guindillas are mildly hot with a clear vinegar tang, although heat varies by producer and harvest.
Drain the ingredients ahead if useful, but assemble the Gildas within 4 hours of service so the pepper and anchovy keep their best texture.
Use a firm pitted manzanilla-style green olive. Strongly stuffed olives change the clean flavor of the classic pintxo.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- Not required
- Rest
- 10 mins
- Total
- 25 mins
- Serves
- 12 Gildas
- Difficulty
- Beginner
The recipe
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Before you start
Drain the olives and guindillas thoroughly so brine does not dilute the flavor. Keep the anchovy fillets whole and blot only excess surface oil. Fold rather than chop the peppers so every skewer keeps the classic shape and balance.
Ingredients
For the Gildas
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Fine-mesh sieves paid link
- Kitchen paper paid link
- Wooden cocktail picks paid link
- Small serving plate paid link
- 02 paid link
Method
-
Drain the olives and guindillas in separate fine-mesh sieves for 5 minutes. Lay the anchovies on a plate and lightly blot excess oil with kitchen paper.
-
Trim only excessively long pepper stems. Fold each guindilla once or twice without breaking it.
-
Thread one olive onto a wooden cocktail pick, followed by one folded anchovy and one folded guindilla. Pass the pick through the ingredients again if needed so they sit securely.
-
Arrange the Gildas on a serving plate and drizzle lightly with the extra-virgin olive oil.
-
Rest at cool room temperature for 10 minutes before serving so the anchovy and olive are not refrigerator-cold.
Chef’s notes
- Guindillas are slender pickled Basque peppers with gentle heat and pronounced acidity; they are not the same as fresh hot green chilies.
- Do not rinse the anchovies. Draining preserves their seasoning while preventing excess oil on the plate.
- Fold long peppers loosely instead of cutting them into small pieces.
Tips and variations
- Choose anchovies with intact fillets and a clean savory aroma.
- For a neat canapé platter, point all pepper stems in the same direction.
- Keep additions restrained; the classic olive-anchovy-guindilla trio is the point of the Gilda.
Serve with
Serve the Gildas on a small chilled plate as part of a pintxos spread. Bread can sit alongside the platter, but it is not traditionally threaded onto the skewer.
Storage
Assemble no more than 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then bring out 10 minutes before serving. Do not freeze.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 55 kcal
- Calories
- 2 g
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 480 mg
- Sodium
Allergens
Contains fish. Bottled peppers and olives may contain sulfites; check individual labels when cooking for guests with sensitivities.
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Questions
Are Gilda pintxos very spicy?Usually not. Traditional guindillas are mildly hot with a clear vinegar tang, although heat varies by producer and harvest.
Can I prepare them the day before?Drain the ingredients ahead if useful, but assemble the Gildas within 4 hours of service so the pepper and anchovy keep their best texture.
Which olive is best?Use a firm pitted manzanilla-style green olive. Strongly stuffed olives change the clean flavor of the classic pintxo.
