Basque Country

🍳Cooking Style

Pintxos (small bites), grilled seafood, txuleton steaks. Both traditional and avant-garde approaches. Strong food society (txoko) culture.

📜Historical Context

Basque fishing traditions and male cooking societies created a unique food culture that spawned Spain's nueva cocina movement.

🌟Signature Dishes

Spain·Hard·24-48 hours (including desalting) + 45 minutes

Bacalao al Pil Pil

A classic Basque dish featuring salt cod gently cooked in olive oil, which then emulsifies with the released cod gelatin to create a rich, creamy, and flavorful sauce. The 'pil pil' sound refers to the gentle bubbling of the oil during the emulsification process.

Spain·Easy·1 hour 10 minutes

Marmitako

A hearty and flavorful Basque tuna stew, traditionally prepared by fishermen along the Cantabrian coast. This one-pot meal features tender chunks of fresh tuna braised with potatoes, sweet peppers, and a rich tomato-based sauce.

🍽️More from Basque Country

Spain·Easy·2 hours 25 minutes (including chilling)

Gazpacho Andaluz

A refreshing and vibrant cold soup from Andalusia, Spain. This classic gazpacho is made by blending ripe tomatoes with cucumber, green bell pepper, stale bread, garlic, sherry vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. It's the perfect dish for a hot summer day.

Spain·Easy·2 hours 25 minutes (including chilling)

Ajo Blanco

A refreshing and elegant cold soup from Andalusia, Spain, featuring blanched almonds, garlic, and stale bread. Perfect for a light summer starter or appetizer.

Spain·Medium·1 hour 10 minutes

Albóndigas en Salsa

Tender, flavorful Spanish meatballs simmered in a rich, aromatic sauce made with ground almonds and a hint of saffron. A classic tapas dish perfect for sharing.

Spain·Easy·1 hour 5 minutes

Almejas a la Marinera

A classic Spanish tapa, these clams are quickly steamed in a fragrant broth of garlic, olive oil, white wine, and fresh parsley. The resulting briny, garlicky sauce is perfect for soaking up with crusty bread.

Spain·Medium·1 hour 15 minutes

Arroz a Banda

Arroz a Banda, meaning 'rice on the side,' is a classic Valencian and Alicantinian rice dish. Traditionally, it was prepared by fishermen who would cook the rice in a flavorful fish broth made from the 'morralla' (leftover fish bones and heads). The best fish was sold, and the rice, cooked separately ('a banda'), was served first, followed by the fish. Modern versions often combine the rice and seafood in one dish, served with alioli (garlic mayonnaise).

Spain·Medium·1 hour 20 minutes

Arroz al Horno

A traditional Valencian dish, Arroz al Horno, meaning 'baked rice', is a hearty and flavorful one-pot meal typically enjoyed on Thursdays. It features rice baked with tender pork ribs, savory morcilla (blood sausage), chickpeas, and a whole head of garlic, resulting in a wonderfully crispy top.