Traditional Basque recipes

The Basque people through their gastronomy: 3 delicious traditional recipes you'll love

In Bilbao Bizkaia, you'll discover one of the world’s finest culinary traditions, offering everything from the most delicious traditional recipes to innovative dishes inspired by the latest international trends. And let’s not forget the exquisite pintxos you can savour in countless restaurants, taverns, and small bars.

Yes, Bilbao Bizkaia is, without a doubt, a land of gastronomy. In fact, this might be the very reason you’ve visited or why this region has caught your interest.

Without a doubt, gastronomy is culture, and it says a lot about the history, traditions and character of a people, shaped by their circumstances and environment. That's why one of the best ways to get to know Bilbao Bizkaia is at a table with a fine meal in front of you.

In this article we would like to focus on the most traditional dishes of Bilbao Bizkaia and treat you to three authentic recipes that you can not only enjoy if you are here, but also prepare easily when you return home.

The best way to take with you an unforgettable part of Bilbao Bizkaia and, best of all, share it with your loved ones whenever you wish. Take note!

 

Marmitako of tuna

Bilbao Bizkaia has had an intimate relationship with the sea since time immemorial, so it's no surprise that one of the region’s most iconic and traditional dishes is this classic seafood stew. The name, marmitako, comes from marmita, meaning pot, in which it was originally cooked.

Just a few simple ingredients, a lot of love and some time over a slow flame will be enough for the aroma of the best Basque culinary tradition to fill your home.

 

Ingredients

  • 400 g tuna.
  • 700 ml water.
  • 400 g potatoes.
  • 100 ml white wine.
  • 30 ml olive oil.
  • 1 small onion.
  • 2 cloves of garlic.
  • 1 green pepper.
  • 2 tablespoons of home-made puréed tomato sauce.
  • 1 tablespoon of choricero pepper pulp.
  • 1 cayenne pepper.
  • 1 bay leaf.
  • 1 teaspoon paprika.
  • Salt.
 

Preparation

The first thing to do is to make the sofrito. To do this, heat oil in a pan, chop the onion and garlic, fry with a pinch of salt and leave to cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat.

Now cut the green pepper into thin julienne strips and add it to the pan. Mix well with the onion and garlic and let the mixture cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add the puréed tomato sauce, choricero pepper, bay leaf and cayenne pepper. Mix everything well and then add the sweet paprika powder and white wine. Stir again and leave the mixture to simmer for a further 5 minutes over a medium heat to allow the wine to evaporate.

Peel the potatoes, dice them evenly and add them to the sauce. Add salt, cover them and cook for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the tuna: clean it, remove the skin and cut it into pieces similar to those of the potatoes.

When the potatoes are cooked, add the pieces of tuna, cover and leave to simmer over a medium heat for a couple of minutes more.

Finally, remove the stew from the cooker and leave to stand, with the lid on, for a further 5 minutes.

 

Bacalao al pil-pil

We continue close to the sea with the second of these recipes: the emblematic bacalao or cod in pil-pil sauce (the onomatopoeia of the sound the sauce makes when boiling), a dish that combines simplicity and flavour and which is one of the first that comes to mind when we think of Basque gastronomy.

 

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of boneless salted cod.
  • 4 cloves of garlic.
  • Olive oil.
 

Preparation

The first thing to do is to soak the cod the day before, changing the water two or three times to remove the salt. When it is time to cook it, descale and clean the cod.

Heat the olive oil and fry the sliced garlic cloves in a saucepan. Remove the garlic when just lightly golden and set aside for later.

Add the cod and cook over a medium heat, always with the skin side up, for about 7 or 8 minutes, until it begins to soften. At this point, transfer it to another pan with two or three spoonfuls of hot oil, and leave to sweat for a couple of minutes.

Then place the saucepan over a low heat and bind the sauce using the remaining oil, which will still be warm. Move the pan carefully from side to side, always making sure that the cod does not break and that it does not start to boil, so that the sauce gradually thickens.

When the texture is gelatinous, the dish is ready. Serve with the cod skin side up and the pieces well covered with sauce. On top of each piece, put some of the garlic we had saved.

 

Tolosa bean stew

We come to the last of these dishes, typical from the Basque rural world. It is a simple, caloric, dense and delicious recipe that speaks of an environment in which it was necessary to fight the cold and gather energy for hard work.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 kg black beans from Tolosa.
  • 5 l water.
  • One tablespoon oil.
  • Accompaniments: black pudding, pickled chilli peppers, cabbage, lukainka (chorizo sausage), pork ribs and pure bacon.
 

Preparation

Put the beans in a pot, add the water and turn to maximum heat. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and add the oil.

Now it's time to be patient, as you have to wait until the beans are well cooked, which can take between 3 to 4 hours. When the beans are done, turn off the heat, add the salt, and let the dish rest until the sauce thickens.

Remember, do not soak the beans beforehand, and do not stir them while cooking to prevent them from breaking.

Cook the traditional accompaniments separately, and when ready, serve them on the side, without mixing them with the beans.