Recipe recreations are the best thing about coming home from vacation – they keep the party going a little longer. And today, we’re having a pinxto party!
Actually, did you know that this whole blog started out as a recipe recreation of sorts? Waaay back when (like, almost 12 years ago!), I was feeling so inspired by my travels to Ireland and the food there that this whole little idea to eat the world came about. And here we are!
Now, as for this little pinxto party – it’s inspired by my few days in San Sebastian and the seemingly endless supply of small bites available, and the plethora of bars that serve them all throughout the city’s Old Town and some other parts of Northern Spain.
But first, what are pinxtos?
Unlike tapas, which are small plates, pinxtos are more like small bites. Named for pinchos, which are basically toothpicks, they’re commonplace around Northern Spain and can be anything from meats, to cheeses, to veg to seafood.
We learned in our samplings around Bilbao and San Sebastian that every area…every bar to be honest, tends to have a theme – fried, seafood, meat, veg, cheese, etc. and it’s not uncommon to hop from one to another in search of your favorites. For this party, I’m bringing all of my favorites to my own dining room table!
To do so, I stopped by Zingerman’s Deli to shop their summer sale and get most of what I needed for the party. Today, I’m serving up:
- Mackerel-stuffed fire-roasted piquillo peppers (recipe below) – using tinned Portuguese mackerel
- Goat cheese- stuffed bacon wrapped dates (using my fave cherrywood smoked bacon!)
- Serrano ham + manchego cheese
- Garlic shrimp
- More cheese with crusty baguette
- Sweet & salty pistachios
- Fat, juicy Spanish olives
- Sangria
Before we get to the sweet stuff, let’s focus on the savories. One pinxto that I had on my trip were tuna-stuffed piquillo peppers. I tried them since they seemed to be everywhere and when I did, I was very pleasantly surprised! It’s basically tuna salad stuffed in small, roasted red peppers and topped with a little garlic aioli. what’s not to like there?
I adapted this recipe for home by using tinned mackerel rather than tuna for a little something different, and swapped out the mayo with yogurt; I found the oil from the mackerel added enough richness without adding additional mayo. However, I did add a little dollop of the good stuff to the top!
Mackerel Stuffed Piquillo Peppers
Equipment
- toothpicks
- piping bag optional
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tinned mackerel in olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic grated
- 1 TB shallots minced
- ¼ tsp smoked hot Spanish paprika
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt any fat %
- 2 TB lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 jarred, roasted piquillo peppers
- ½ cup garlic aioli store bought
- 1 French baguette sliced on a diagonal
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the mackerel, garlic, shallots, paprika, yogurt and lemon juice. Using a a fork, break up the mackerel into flakes and mix everything well until all completely combined.
- Add the fish mixture to a piping bag - this step is optional but will make filling the peppers easier. Gently open each pepper and fill completely with fish mixture.
- Place the filled pepper on top of a baguette slice. Top with 1 TB garlic aioli and hold everything together with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining fish/peppers.
Now, the sweet stuff.
Is there anything that screams “Europe in the summer” more than ice cream? Didn’t think so, so I’ve made THE BEST no-churn pistachio ice cream using this OMG to die for Pistacchiosa spread that just takes me back to many a cobbled street…
While I love my regular ice cream maker, I’m more likely to gravitate towards a no-churn recipe since it can be made in minutes and ready to eat in hours rather than an overnight. And this one is ready for scooping in four hours!
But to reiterate, don’t sleep on this pistachio cream.
Pistachio Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup pistachio cream (such as il colle del gusto pistacchiosa)
- ½ cup salted or candied pistachios optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat the whipping cream to stiff peaks.
- When the whipping cream is almost completely whipped, drizzle in the sweetened condensed milk until well combined. Repeat with pistachio cream. If using, fold in the pistachios.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into a loaf pan or other freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze for at least four hours before serving.
And finally, despite the heat in Madrid, folks were lining up outside Chocolatería San Ginés for churros + chocolate. It reminded me of Cafe du Monde in New Orleans and how tourists and locals alike cram themselves into that tiny, steaming cafe to indulge in fried dough and cafe au laits despite the suffocating heat outside. I just HAD to bring that vibe home (since the heat is, in fact, suffocating outside here as well). I added my own twist by making my Chocolate Caliente even richer with a dose of chocolate-hazelnut Niccioliva, which is 1000x better than Nutella.
For realz. And my own homemade baked churros because I’m a no-fry household.
Chocolate Hazelnut Spanish Drinking Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk any variety
- 4 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- 2 TB heaping, cocoa + hazelnut spread (such as il colle del gusto noccioliva)
Instructions
- Place the milk and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat until it boils. Remove from heat.
- Immediately add the chopped chocolate and hazelnut spread and stir constantly until completely smooth. Put back on the stove over low heat, and cook until desired thickness.
- Serve with your favorite cookie or churro to dip, or just enjoy on its own.
Gosh. Dessert = Life.
Actually, pinxtos = life. I could get used to this.
It really is the perfect way to dine in the summer when the thought of spending all day in the kitchen is unbearable.
Zingerman’s Deli is a one-stop shop for everything you need to create your own pinxto party! Shop their summer sale through July to get everything you need to host your own shindig. From drinks to dessert, they’ve got you covered! This post was sponsored by Zingerman’s Deli. All ramblings and opinions are my own, and thank you for supporting the brands that support THB!
