Summary: The classic gilda has three ingredients and needs no improvement: manzanilla olive, pickled guindilla pepper, and Cantabrian anchovy. Period. The person who invented it at Bar Vallés in San Sebastián in the mid-20th century couldn't have known they were creating one of the most perfectly balanced bites in all of Spanish cuisine.
And yet, the version with sun-dried tomato works. Not because the classic gilda needs anything, but because it adds a dimension of concentrated sweetness and fruity acidity that transforms the pintxo into something different: more complex, more interesting for those seeking variation, and extraordinarily easy to prepare.
At Bacalalo, we have been at Barcelona's Mercat del Ninot since 1990, selecting anchovies with the same criteria as always: raw material from the Cantabrian Sea, artisanal preparation, and flavor that stands on its own. We know perfectly well which anchovy works in a gilda — and which anchovy ruins it.
Content
- The Original Gilda: Why It Works
- The Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato: Why Add This Ingredient
- Ingredients for the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato (for 12 units)
- Step-by-Step Assembly
- Variations of the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato
- Which Anchovy to Use in the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato
- Preparing Sun-Dried Tomatoes for the Gilda
- How to Serve the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato
The Original Gilda: Why It Works
Before discussing the sun-dried tomato variant, it's worth understanding why the classic gilda is untouchable.
The balance is perfect across three axes:
Salt + acid + fat: The anchovy provides salt and fat (the oil). The guindilla pepper provides acidity (the vinegar it's pickled in) plus the spice. The olive provides fat and a vegetal counterpoint. Everything is on the same skewer, everything in every bite.
Texture: The guindilla pepper crunches slightly. The olive has body. The anchovy is silky. Three distinct textures in a three-centimeter bite.
Name with history: It was named "gilda" after the movie Gilda (1946) starring Rita Hayworth — "green, salty, and a little spicy," like her. This story may be apocryphal, but it perfectly defines the pintxo.
The gilda with sun-dried tomato doesn't replace this. It reinterprets it.
The Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato: Why Add This Ingredient
Sun-dried tomato adds three things not found in the classic gilda:
Concentrated sweetness: Sun-dried tomatoes have lost almost all their water, so their natural sugar is concentrated. This contrasts with the saltiness of the anchovy in a way that doesn't happen with the guindilla pepper.
Fruity acidity: Different from the acidity of the guindilla's vinegar. Sun-dried tomato has a softer, more fruity acidity that rounds out the bite instead of cutting through it.
Additional umami: Sun-dried tomatoes, especially if preserved in olive oil, have a concentration of glutamate that adds to that of the anchovy. The result is a pintxo with a remarkable umami intensity — that flavor that makes you want to keep eating.
Ingredients for the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato (for 12 units)
Base ingredients:- 12 artisanal Cantabrian anchovy fillets (one per gilda)
- 12 pitted manzanilla olives (or with pits if you prefer more presence)
- 12 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (drained)
- 12 pickled guindilla peppers (optional — see variations)
- 12 skewers or pintxo sticks (at least 8 cm for easy handling)
- Extra virgin olive oil for a light drizzle
- Flaky sea salt (Maldon or similar) — use very sparingly as the anchovy is already salty
- Toasted bread or savory crackers as a base
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Step-by-Step Assembly
The order of assembly matters: not just for aesthetics, but because it affects how each ingredient behaves on the skewer and how it's eaten.
Recommended assembly (from bottom to top on the skewer):
- Olive: first. It's the heaviest ingredient and will anchor the base of the pintxo.
- Sun-dried tomato: second. Fold it slightly if it's large to make it compact.
- Anchovy: third. Fold it into an "S" or "zigzag" shape — this ensures it doesn't slip off the skewer and that each bite has a proportionate amount of anchovy.
- Guindilla pepper (if used): last. It's the visual finish and closes the flavor with its acidic-spicy kick.
The anchovy fold is the most important trick. A flat anchovy falls off the skewer. Folded in a zigzag, it stays put and each bite includes the correct proportion.
Variations of the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato
Variant 1: The Modernized Classic (with guindilla pepper)
The most direct gilda with sun-dried tomato: olive + sun-dried tomato + anchovy + guindilla pepper. All four ingredients. The guindilla adds the spicy-acidic kick that balances the sweetness of the tomato.Works for: those who like the classic gilda and want an interesting variation.
Variant 2: Without Guindilla Pepper (sweet and salty)
For those who don't tolerate spice or prefer a milder profile: olive + sun-dried tomato + anchovy. Without guindilla pepper. The sweetness of the sun-dried tomato and the saltiness of the anchovy become the main focus of the bite.Works for: children, people sensitive to spice, or as a variant within a platter of assorted pintxos.
Variant 3: With Arbequina Olive
Instead of the classic manzanilla, use arbequina olives (the quintessential Catalan and Aragonese variety). Arbequina olives are smaller, less salty, and have a fruity note that complements the sun-dried tomato particularly well.This variant makes sense in Catalonia, where arbequina is the reference olive and makes the gilda a more local product.
Variant 4: With Caper
Substitute the guindilla pepper with large caperberries (natural, well-drained). Caperberries add acidity and a different intense vegetal flavor. Combination: olive + sun-dried tomato + anchovy + caperberry.Variant 5: With Piquillo Pepper
Instead of guindilla pepper, a piece of roasted piquillo pepper (from a jar, well-drained). Piquillo pepper is sweet, with a subtle smoky background. Combination: olive + sun-dried tomato + anchovy + piquillo. Milder, "rounder," less spicy.Which Anchovy to Use in the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato
The anchovy is the ingredient that defines the gilda. A bad anchovy ruins a good gilda. An excellent anchovy turns even a simple gilda into something memorable.
Criteria for choosing the anchovy for a gilda:
Size: medium-large fillets. A very small fillet gets lost among the other ingredients. A large fillet, folded in a zigzag, provides real presence in every bite.
Texture: firm, easily handled without breaking when folded. A soft or mushy anchovy won't survive assembly.
Flavor: intense but balanced. In a gilda, the anchovy competes with the guindilla pepper, olive, and now the sun-dried tomato — it needs personality not to disappear.
Oil: extra virgin olive oil. The oil from the jar contributes to the final flavor of the pintxo.
At Bacalalo, we select artisanal Cantabrian anchovies aged for a minimum of 12 months. These are the anchovies we would use in our own gilda.
See anchovies for gildas at Bacalalo
Preparing Sun-Dried Tomatoes for the Gilda
Not all sun-dried tomatoes are the same, and preparation matters.
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil (best for this use): Buy sun-dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil. Drain before using, reserving the oil (it's excellent for dressing salads). Tomatoes in oil are softer, easier to handle on the skewer.
Bulk sun-dried tomatoes (without oil): If using dry sun-dried tomatoes (dehydrated without oil), rehydrate them first for 10-15 minutes in warm water or, even better, in warm olive oil. Without this step, they will be too hard for the gilda.
Size: if the sun-dried tomato is very large (more than 4-5 cm), cut it in half or into strips. The sun-dried tomato should not dominate visually or in volume over the rest.
How to Serve the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato
Temperature: at room temperature. Neither cold (flavors are dulled) nor hot (the oil becomes liquid, the anchovy loses texture).
Presentation: on a wooden board, on thin toasted bread as a base, or directly on a platter. If you drizzle a drop of extra virgin olive oil over it just before serving, the appearance and flavor improve.
Drink: txakoli or brut nature cava. The acidity and bubbles cleanse the palate between gildas. An artisanal wheat beer also works well.
Quantity per person: as an appetizer, 2-3 gildas per person are sufficient as an accompaniment. As a standalone appetizer pintxo, 3-4 per person.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Gilda with Sun-Dried Tomato
1. Is the gilda with sun-dried tomato an "official" recipe? There is no "official" version of the gilda with sun-dried tomato. It's a modern variant that has gained popularity in pintxos bars in the Basque Country and Catalonia. The "original gilda" is made with olive, guindilla pepper, and anchovy.
2. Can gildas with sun-dried tomato be prepared in advance? Yes, up to 2-3 hours before. Keep them covered in the refrigerator and take them out 20 minutes before serving. If assembled too far in advance, the guindilla pepper can slightly "cook" the anchovy with its acidity, which isn't bad but changes the texture.
3. What type of olive works best? Pitted manzanilla olives are the classic choice: ideal size for the skewer, neutral flavor that doesn't compete. Gordal olives are too large. Arbequina olives work very well in a smaller, more "local" (Catalanized) version.
4. Can I use sun-dried cherry tomatoes instead of regular sun-dried tomatoes? Yes. Sun-dried cherry tomatoes are a perfect size for the gilda (no need to cut) and have a sweeter note. If you find sun-dried cherry tomatoes in oil, they are perfect for this use.
5. Can it be made without anchovy for vegetarians? A gilda without anchovy is technically not a gilda (anchovy is defining). But the combination of olive + sun-dried tomato + guindilla pepper on a skewer is a perfectly valid vegan appetizer — just call it something different.
6. Which anchovy should NOT be used? (anchovies that ruin the gilda) Don't use cheap industrial anchovies (a €2 can from the supermarket). They are soft, excessively salty in an unbalanced way, and lack the structure to fold on the skewer. The result is a gilda that tastes mainly of salt and little else.
7. Is the gilda with sun-dried tomato spicy? It depends on whether you include guindilla pepper. With guindilla, it has a mild-to-moderate spice (good quality pickled guindilla pepper is less spicy than a fresh one). Without guindilla, it's not spicy at all.
8. How long do assembled gildas last? Assembled and refrigerated, 24 hours maximum. Beyond that, the anchovy begins to lose texture and the gherkin continues to act on the other ingredients. The ideal is to assemble them at the moment or a few hours before.
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Conclusion
The gilda with sun-dried tomato is one of those modern variations that works because it respects the spirit of the original: a balance between salt, acid, fat, and texture. The sun-dried tomato adds concentrated sweetness and additional umami without breaking that balance.
The key, as always with the gilda, lies in the anchovy. With a quality artisan anchovy, the pintxo stands on its own. With a mediocre anchovy, no sun-dried tomato can save it.
At Bacalalo, we select Cantabrian anchovies with the criteria that this dish demands: size, firmness, artisan maturation. Since 1990, the same criteria.
