Gilda: Recipe for the Most Famous Pintxo + 6 Creative Variations

What is the gilda and why is it the most famous pintxo?

The gilda was born in Bar Casa Vallés in San Sebastián in 1946. The story goes that its creator, a regular customer, skewered an olive, a piparra, and an anchovy, and upon tasting the bite, said it was "spicy, salty, and a little green," like Rita Hayworth in the film Gilda that was released that year. The name stuck and the pintxo became a legend.

What makes the gilda special is not its complexity, but its balance. Three ingredients that are strong on their own but together create perfect harmony: the anchovy provides the salty, umami punch, the Ibarra piparra introduces acidity and a mild spice, and the Manzanilla olive rounds it off with its fatty bitterness. All in one bite, no plate, no cutlery, no ceremony.

In the Basque Country, the gilda is almost a ritual. It's eaten standing at the bar, with a well-chilled txakoli or a caña. It's the first pintxo ordered and sets the tone for the afternoon. At Bacalalo, we've been working with the best Cantabrian anchovies since 1990 in Barcelona's Mercat del Ninot, and we know that the quality of the anchovy is what separates a memorable gilda from an ordinary one.

Classic gilda recipe step-by-step

The classic gilda allows no improvisation in ingredients, but it does demand attention to detail. Each component must be at the correct temperature and skewered in the right order.

Ingredients (for 6 gildas)

• 6 fillets of good quality Cantabrian anchovy in olive oil
• 12 Ibarra piparras in vinegar (2 per gilda)
• 6 large, firm, pitted Manzanilla olives
• 6 long wooden skewers or short cocktail sticks
• Extra virgin olive oil (optional, for drizzling at the end)

Preparation

1. Prepare the piparras: Drain them well from the vinegar. If they are very long, cut them to a similar size as the anchovy (about 5-6 cm). Reserve the vinegar: you can add a few drops at the end on the finished gilda.
2. Prepare the anchovies: Carefully remove them from the oil so as not to break them. Place them on absorbent paper for a moment to remove excess oil. You want them juicy, not soaked.
3. Skewer in the correct order: The classic order is piparra-anchovy-olive-piparra. First, pierce the bottom tip of a piparra, then fold the anchovy fillet into an S-shape or zigzag and skewer it, then the olive (through the center, where the pit was), and finally the second piparra. The key is for the anchovy to partially wrap around the other ingredients.
4. Adjust and compact: The gilda should be firm. It cannot be loose or fall off the skewer. Gently push the ingredients towards the center so they are snug.
5. Dress (optional): A very thin drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if desired, 2-3 drops of the piparra vinegar.
6. Serve immediately: The gilda doesn't wait. It's prepared and eaten. At room temperature, never cold from the fridge.

Total time: 10 minutes. Difficulty: Easy, but demanding in product quality.

How to choose the perfect ingredients

The gilda only has three ingredients. There's no sauce to mask, no cooking to transform. Each component is shown as it is, so quality is everything.

The anchovy

It is the soul of the gilda. You need a Cantabrian anchovy in olive oil, cured in salt for at least 6 months, with a uniform pinkish-red color, firm texture that melts in the mouth, and a powerful but not aggressive flavor. Anchovies from artisanal Cantabrian brands like those we work with at Bacalalo make a radical difference compared to industrial canned anchovies.

Avoid anchovies that are brown, excessively soft, have a metallic taste, or smell rancid. A good anchovy smells of clean sea and noble curing.

The piparra

The Ibarra piparra (also called piparras) is the only authentic option. These are green pickled peppers in vinegar, with a very mild spiciness—almost non-existent—and an elegant acidity. Do not confuse them with spicy peppers like cayenne or habanero: those would destroy the balance of the pintxo. Good Ibarra piparras are fleshy, crunchy, and have a clean taste of green pepper and vinegar.

The olive

Pitted Manzanilla. Large, firm, with that mild bitterness and juicy fleshiness. Some versions use Gordal olives, which are larger but less bitter. Both work, but Manzanilla is the orthodox choice. The important thing is that the olive is not stuffed with anything (neither pepper nor anchovy paste) and that it is at room temperature.

Variation 1: Vinegar-marinated anchovy gilda

A softer and more acidic version that substitutes salted anchovies with vinegar-marinated anchovies. The result is a fresher gilda, perfect for summer.

• Ingredients: Well-drained vinegar-marinated anchovies, Ibarra piparras, Manzanilla olives, thinly sliced garlic (optional).
• Assembly: Identical to the classic, but replacing the anchovy with 2 folded anchovy fillets. If you add a slice of garlic between the anchovies, you gain complexity.
• Character: More acidic, less salty, with a more Mediterranean touch. It pairs especially well with cold beer or Fino sherry.

Vinegar-marinated anchovies have more volume than salted anchovies, so the gilda is more generous. Ideal as a summer appetizer with a well-chilled white wine.

Variation 2: Smoked salmon gilda

A gilda that plays with smoke instead of salt. Sophisticated and different, with a surprising flavor profile.

• Ingredients: Wide strips of smoked salmon, Ibarra piparras, Gordal olives, capers (1 per gilda), a touch of lemon zest.
• Assembly: Roll the salmon strip into a tight cylinder. Skewer piparra-salmon-caper-olive-piparra. Grate a touch of lemon on top when serving.
• Character: Smoky, fatty, with the acidity of the caper replacing part of the piparra's function. The Gordal olive adds more sweetness than the Manzanilla, balancing the smokiness.

This variation works very well as a celebratory pintxo, with cava or champagne.

Variation 3: Deconstructed gilda

Not a pintxo but a dish. It's the gilda taken to the plating realm, maintaining all the flavors but changing the form.

• Ingredients: 3 fillets of Cantabrian anchovy per serving, 4-5 Ibarra piparras, 6 sliced Manzanilla olives, extra virgin olive oil, piparra vinegar, toasted crystal bread.
• Assembly: On a flat plate, arrange the olive slices to form a base. Place the anchovies fanned out on top. Thinly julienne the piparras and scatter them over. Drizzle with olive oil and a few drops of vinegar. Serve with toasted crystal bread to assemble each bite.
• Character: The same flavors, but with the texture of toasted bread and the possibility of dosing each ingredient to your liking. It's an elegant way to present the gilda at a dinner party.

Variation 4: Premium Cantabrian gilda

The gilda version that elevates the level of each ingredient. For when you really want to impress.

• Ingredients: Gran reserva Cantabrian anchovy (minimum 12 months curing), extra fine Ibarra piparras, Manzanilla olives dressed with herbs (thyme and rosemary), early harvest Picual EVOO.
• Assembly: The same as the classic gilda, but with one detail: before skewering, lightly brush the anchovy with the Picual EVOO. Picual oil has a bitterness and spiciness that intensify the gilda's character without distorting the original balance.
• Character: More intense, with greater flavor depth and a longer finish on the palate. Gran reserva anchovies have a complexity that standard cured ones do not achieve: more umami, more nuances, more persistence.

If you're going to make this version, invest in the best anchovies you can find. In our gilda section you'll find pre-assembled options and individual ingredients for you to prepare them yourself.

Variation 5: Mediterranean gilda

A gilda that travels from the Basque Country to the Mediterranean, incorporating flavors from the Catalan and Levante coasts.

• Ingredients: Cantabrian anchovy, sun-dried tomato in oil (cut into strips), pitted black Aragon olive, caper, fresh basil.
• Assembly: Piparra substituted by the sun-dried tomato strip, which provides sweet acidity. Skewer sun-dried tomato-anchovy-caper-black olive. Place a small basil leaf between the anchovy and the olive.
• Character: Sweeter and more aromatic than the classic. The sun-dried tomato adds concentration and the sweet-sour note that the piparra provides in the original. The black Aragon olive has a softer, fruitier flavor. It's a summer gilda, ideal with rosé or vermouth.

Variation 6: Surf and turf gilda

The fusion between the anchovy pintxo and the meaty flavors of the Basque interior. Hearty and addictive.

• Ingredients: Cantabrian anchovy, thinly sliced txistorra or cured chorizo, Ibarra piparra, smoked Idiazábal cheese (a small cube), Manzanilla olive.
• Assembly: Skewer piparra-folded anchovy with the txistorra slice inside-Idiazábal cube-olive. The cheese goes between the anchovy and the olive.
• Character: Powerful, with the cured fat of the txistorra amplifying the umami of the anchovy and the smoked Idiazábal adding a layer of complexity. Not for every day, but spectacular with a young Rioja Alavesa red wine.

This variation works especially well if you quickly grill the txistorra before skewering, so that it releases some of its fat and its flavor intensifies.

Pairing and presentation

The gilda has its natural beverage ecosystem. These are the combinations that work best:

• Txakoli: The canonical pairing. The acidity and light effervescence of txakoli cleanse the palate between gildas. Serve it well chilled (6-8 °C) and pour it from a height as tradition dictates.
• Blonde lager beer: Cold, clean, uncomplicated. The carbonation cuts through the fat of the anchovy and olive.
• Fino or Manzanilla sherry: A more sophisticated pairing that works extraordinarily well. The salinity of the fino complements the anchovy rather than competing with it.
• Vermouth: Red, with ice and an orange slice. The bitter-sweetness of the vermouth creates a delicious contrast with the acidity of the piparra.
• Natural cider: The Asturian option that also fits perfectly due to its acidity and lightness.

For presentation, the most important thing is that the gildas are freshly made. You can assemble them on a wooden board, stick them into a rustic loaf of bread cut in half, or present them on a plate with a little of the anchovy oil and a few drops of piparra vinegar as dressing. What you should never do is prepare them hours in advance and store them in the fridge: a cold gilda is a sad gilda.

Frequently asked questions about the gilda