Cuisine
Pintxos bars, hard-charred turbot and cheesecake with a burnt top — cooking that trusts fire and salt.
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Questions from the pass
Bake the cheesecake at 200°C to 220°C in a fan oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Use a high ratio of whole eggs and double cream to cream cheese. The top must caramelise to a dark brown while the centre remains completely wobbly. It sets to a custard-like consistency only after cooling at room temperature.
Tapas are small plates designed for sharing, whereas pintxos are individual, bite-sized portions native to the Basque Country. Typically spiked onto a slice of baguette with a cocktail stick, they are eaten standing at the bar. Traditional pintxos include the Gilda (anchovy, guindilla pepper, and green olive) or salt cod croquettes.
Whole turbot is clamped in a stainless-steel mesh basket and grilled over open oak embers. Brush the skin with olive oil while cooking. Once cooked, splash the hot fish with a warm dressing of garlic, dried chilli, and txakoli wine vinegar, shaking the pan to emulsify the fish juices into a thick sauce.
Basque cider, or sagardoa, is naturally still and tart. Pouring it from a height of one metre into a wide glass aerates the liquid, producing a temporary, natural carbonation and releasing volatile aromas. It must be served in small measures of about two fingers and drunk immediately before the fizz dissipates.
A traditional txuleta is a thick, bone-in ribeye cut from retired dairy cows aged between eight and eighteen years. This meat has deep yellow fat marbling. Grill it over high-temperature oak coals, heavily crusting both sides with coarse sea salt, leaving the thick centre warm, red, and rare.
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