Gilda: The Original Pintxo

The day Gilda walked into my life

Three ingredients, one stick, zero cooking. The Gilda is the easiest party bite I know, and still one of the most exciting things you can put in your mouth with a glass of something cold.

I met my first Gilda in Donostia (San Sebastián), on a trip north with my Sherry buddy Chelsea. We had barely dropped our bags before I dragged her into the first pintxo bar on Calle 31 de Agosto. Two Txakolis were poured from a great height, and there on the counter sat a row of little skewers: a fat green olive, a silky anchovy, a twist of pale green chilli.

One bite and I was smitten. Salty, sharp, gently hot, and the perfect partner for that young, lightly fizzy Basque wine. The next day, at a Gastronomic Society cooking experience with Mimo, the very first thing we made was Gildas. I have been making them in my Vejer kitchen ever since.

So here is my full guide: the story, how to choose the three ingredients (this is where the magic is), how to build the perfect Gilda, a few twists, and what to pour alongside.

Green, salty and a little bit spicy: the story of the Gilda

The Gilda is widely called the first pintxo ever to be given a name. Most accounts place its birth at Bar Casa Vallés, on Reyes Católicos street in San Sebastián, in 1946 (Bacalalo).

That was the year Rita Hayworth’s film Gilda was a huge hit in Spain. The story goes that a regular skewered the bar’s olive, anchovy and pickled chilli together, and someone declared it was just like Rita’s femme fatale: green, salty and a little bit spicy. The name stuck (Tourism Euskadi).

Like all good bar legends, the details vary. Some credit the owner, Joaquín Aramburu, others a regular, and some say Bar Martínez got there first (Google Arts & Culture). Everyone agrees on Rita. Casa Vallés is still open, and it is a lovely pilgrimage for any Gilda lover.

A little bonus: one of my favourite songs, Amado Mio by Pink Martini, is a cover of a song from the film. Put it on while you make these or use my Spanish Cooking Playlist in Spotify >

Choosing your three ingredients

With only three things on the stick, every one of them has to be the best you can find. This is your shopping list, and where to spend a little more.

Ingredient	What to look for	Annie’s tip
Anchovies (anchoas)	Salted anchovy fillets in olive oil, ideally from the Cantabrian Sea. Plump, pinky brown, firm, not mushy.	This is where to splurge. A good tin from Santoña makes all the difference. Not to be confused with white boquerones in vinegar.
Green olives	Manzanilla olives, pitted (or stuffed with anchovy for extra punch). Firm and buttery.	Buy them whole in brine rather than sliced. Gordal olives work too, for a bigger, meatier Gilda.
Guindillas (piparras)	Pickled mild green chillies from the Basque Country, long, thin and pale green. Ibarra is the classic.	They are mild and tangy, not fiery. If you cannot find them, Italian pepperoncini are the closest swap.
Sticks	Long cocktail sticks or short wooden skewers, about 10 cm.	Long enough to hold a bite, short enough to eat in one go.
Extra virgin olive oil	A fruity Spanish oil.	A tiny drizzle just before serving makes them glisten.

Recipe: Annie B’s Gildas

Makes 12 Gildas · Prep 15 minutes · No cooking · Serves 4 to 6 as an aperitivo

Ingredients

• 12 good anchovy fillets in olive oil (about 1 tin)
• 24 pitted green Manzanilla olives
• 24 to 36 pickled guindilla peppers (2 to 3 per stick, depending on size)
• 12 long cocktail sticks
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Method

1. Drain the anchovies, olives and guindillas well and pat them dry on kitchen paper. Wet ingredients make slippery Gildas.
2. Snip the stalks off the guindillas. Fold each one in half, or do as they did at our Gastronomic Society class in Donostia and cut them into short pieces of a similar size.
3. Thread an olive onto a stick.
4. Take an anchovy and weave it onto the stick in an S shape, piercing it two or three times so it ripples between the other ingredients.
5. Add the folded guindillas (or 2 to 3 pieces), then finish with a second olive.
6. Line them up on a plate or board, drizzle with a little olive oil and a twist of black pepper, and serve straight away.

Annie’s tips

• There is no right or wrong order. As long as all three ingredients are on the stick, it is a Gilda.
• Make them up to 2 hours ahead, cover and keep in the fridge. Take them out 15 minutes before serving.
• Eat it in one bite, the Basque way, so you get every flavour at once.
• Plan on 2 to 3 per person as a pre-dinner nibble.
• It is a true store cupboard canapé. Keep a tin of anchovies and jars of olives and guindillas in the larder and you are always ready for unexpected guests.

Five ways to play with your Gilda

Purists in San Sebastián stick to the classic three, but Basque bars love a twist. Once you have the original down, try these.

• Bonito Gilda: swap the anchovy for a flake of good tinned bonito del norte. Gentler, and lovely for anyone shy of anchovies.
• Boquerón Gilda: use a white anchovy in vinegar alongside the salted one for a sharp, fresh double hit.
• Andaluz Gilda: my southern version, with a cube of Payoyo cheese or a sliver of mojama (salt-cured tuna) from Barbate.
• Pickle Gilda: add a baby cornichon or a pickled spring onion, as many Bilbao bars do.
• Veggie Gilda: leave out the anchovy and use a strip of roasted red pepper or a caper berry instead.

What to drink with Gildas

Salt, acid and a little heat need something crisp, cold and dry. These are my three favourites.

• Txakoli: the Basque match made in heaven. A young, fruity, slightly sparkling white (around 11.5 to 13%) from the slopes above the Cantabrian coast, poured from a height to wake up the bubbles.
• Fino: back home in Vejer, my Gildas go with a chilled Fino from Jerez. The salty olive and anchovy bring out the best in the wine, and the wine in them.
• Manzanilla: from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, with its own whisper of sea salt. Possibly the most perfect pairing of all.

Not a wine drinker? A cold caña or a vermut on ice works beautifully too.

Where to eat Gildas in San Sebastián

If you find yourself in Donostia, these are the counters I would head for.

• Bar Casa Vallés, Reyes Católicos 10: the birthplace of the Gilda. Order the original and raise a glass to Rita.
• Gandarias, Calle 31 de Agosto 23: the best solomillo pintxo, Joselito jamón and the best Sherry list we found in the city.
• Ganbara, San Jerónimo Kalea 19: wild mushrooms done every way imaginable. Try the revuelto con hongos.
• Zeruko, La Pescadería 10: for something more theatrical, including cod served over hot coals.

Make Gildas with me

Gildas are often the first thing we make together in my kitchen in Vejer: a glass of Fino in one hand, a cocktail stick in the other, and lots of laughter. If you would love to cook Spanish food with me, take a look at my cooking holidays and culinary tours.

And if you make these at home, tag me on Instagram. I would love to see your Gildas!