Fresh Approach Cooking

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Pintxos. (Pinch-ohs)

Doncha just love it?

It's a Basque word that basically means tapas or canape. There are hundreds of variations, but most are just served as a small bite to be enjoyed with a drink.

This recipe is for Anchovies, Roasted Peppers, Potato and Egg. They are a fab way to snack, indeed.

The recipe is pretty much just assembly, and sure it takes a few minutes, and requires an egg slicer, but once you have your ingredients gathered, it really easy to do.

Try it and see.

And sure, sure, anchovies aren't quite as beloved here as in Spain, (what? you think they taste "furry?" Try the white ones...) but they are really a delicious burst of salty goodness, and this is a spectacular way to have them. I bought mine (both the white and the brown) at Whole Foods in the specialty foods department. You can buy them by the "each" which makes it reasonably priced.

So go on, and make this, you will LOVE it. And for your non-fish-eating friends, it tastes just as good without the anchovies...just add a sprinkle of smoked paprika to the mayo and a bit of coarse salt to the top and you are good to go...


1 large green bell pepper, halved lengthwise, cored and seeded
1 large, ripe red bell pepper, halved lengthwise, cored and seeded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the peppers
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
8 ( 1/4 -inch thick) diagonal slices from a thick baguette (slices should be about 2 inches by 4 or 5 inches) lightly toasted
1 to 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 hard-cooked eggs, cut into thin crosswise slices 1 medium red potato, boiled, peeled and cut into thin slices
8 white anchovies (packed in vinegar), drained
8 brown, oil-packed anchovies, drained
Minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and oil it lightly. Press the peppers gently to flatten them and place them on the cookie sheet skin side up. Brush with a little oil and roast until the peppers are tender and lightly charred, about 35 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes. Peel the peppers, return them to the bowl, and toss with the oil and vinegar.

To assemble the canapés, cut the peppers into 1-inch thick strips. Spread each toast lightly with mayonnaise and place a slice of egg and a slice of potato side by side slightly overlapping on each toast. Place a strip of green pepper and a strip of red pepper side by side along the length of the toast, trimming as necessary to fit. Top the red pepper strip with a white anchovy and the green with the brown anchovy. Repeat with the rest of the bread slices. Sprinkle the canapés with parsley and serve.

Serves 8

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Pintxos is the Basque equivalent to tapas

California fishermen and seafood suppliers deliver approximately 300 species to market each year

Q. How does the Chicken fit its shell?A. Egg-sactly!!

Labels: Appetizer, Seafood, Tapas