Pintxos de Anchoa

About This Recipe

Pintxos are bite-sized open-faced sandwiches served in Basque bars with a toothpick skewering the ingredients. Anchovy pintxos are among the most classic: sweet roasted red pepper, salty anchovy fillet, and a cured olive on top of crusty bread, held together with a toothpick and often finished with a quail egg. Rooted in the everyday cooking of Basque kitchens, Pintxos de Anchoa balances technique and tradition: the sliced into 12 thin rounds is treated with care, drawing on time-honoured ratios that locals have refined across generations. The dish carries an unmistakable sensory signature — aromas that fill the kitchen as it cooks, layered textures that reveal themselves bite by bite, and a depth of flavour that comes from patient seasoning rather than shortcuts. Whether served as a weeknight snack or as the centrepiece of a celebratory table, it reflects a regional pantry where local produce, seasoning habits and cooking vessels shape the final result. Home cooks who make this dish often note how forgiving it is once the core method is understood, and how a few small choices — the freshness of the sliced into 12 thin rounds, the order of additions, the resting time at the end — separate a good version from a memorable one. This recipe walks through those choices so the dish arrives with the character it has on its home turf.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 1 crusty baguettesliced into 12 thin rounds
• 2 tbspmayonnaise
• 1 jarroasted red peppers, sliced
• 12 anchovyfillets (good quality)
• 12 pittedgreen or black olives
• 12 woodentoothpicks

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast bread

   Lightly toast baguette slices until golden and crispy.

2. 2

   Spread mayo

   Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each toast.

3. 3

   Layer toppings

   Top each with a strip of roasted pepper, then an anchovy fillet, then an olive.

4. 4

   Secure with toothpick

   Insert a toothpick through the center to hold everything together.

Variations

• •

  Add a quail egg on top

• •

  Substitute cured ham for anchovy

• •

  Use roasted green pepper instead of red

• •

  Vegetarian: replace the main protein with mushrooms, paneer, tofu or hearty beans for a meat-free version.

• •

  Spicier: add fresh chilli, a chilli paste or a pinch of cayenne with the aromatics for a warmer profile.

Storage

Best eaten within 2 hours. Can assemble (without toothpick) and cover until serving.

Frequently Asked Questions