skewers
BABY BEETS, CUCUMBERS, OLIVES, and FETA SKEWERS
8 baby beets, about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 squares feta cheese, ¾ inch square and ½ inch thick
8 pitted Kalamata olives
8 squares peeled English cucumber, ¾ inch square and ½ inch thick
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Trim the stems of the unpeeled beets, leaving ½ inch intact. Sprinkle the beets with salt and pepper, and put them in a small baking dish along with ¼ cup water. (Or wrap them along with the water in a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil.) Roast the beets for 30 minutes, or until they are just tender when pierced with a small knife. Transfer to a bowl of cold water. When they are cool enough to handle, top and tail them and slip off the skins.
To serve, have ready 8 small bamboo skewers. Thread 1 beet, 1 feta square, 1 olive, and 1 cucumber square onto each skewer, and arrange the skewers on a small platter. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and the vinegar reduction. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
ANCHOVIES with TOMATOES and PARSLEY-DUSTED GARLIC
This pintxo is my California interpretation of a classic Basque combination of cured anchovies—boquerones—with tomatoes and garlic. Make sure you use fresh, plump garlic cloves that have not sprouted (and are not bitter). 
Makes 4 skewers
8 ripe cherry tomatoes, 1 inch in diameter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 plump garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the broiler.
Coat the cherry tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until just barely softened (not falling apart). Remove from the broiler and set aside to cool.
In a small saucepan, combine the garlic cloves with water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Drain. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and warm it until it ripples. Add the garlic and sauté, tossing once or twice, for about 2 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add 1½ tablespoons of the parsley, and toss to coat the garlic evenly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To serve, have ready 4 small bamboo skewers. Roll each anchovy fillet into a coil. Thread onto each skewer, in the following order: 1 tomato, 1 anchovy coil, 1 garlic clove, 1 tomato, and 1 garlic clove. Arrange the skewers on a small platter, drizzle with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining 1½ teaspoons parsley.
Caramelized Onions with Idiazábal Cheese
CARAMELIZED ONIONS with IDIAZÁBAL CHEESE
Idiazábal, a smoked Basque sheep’s milk cheese with a tangy, somewhat sweet flavor, has become quite popular in cheese markets. It marries particularly well with the caramelized onions in this recipe. Makes 8 skewers
16 red pearl onions
¼ cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
8 squares Idiazábal cheese, 1 inch square and ⅓ inch thick
Have ready a small bowl of ice water. Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat, add the onions, and boil for 1 minute. Drain and plunge into the ice water until cool. Cut off the root ends and slip off the skins.
Return the onions to the saucepan and add the sherry, sugar, and water just to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease the heat to medium, and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are tender when pierced with a small knife and the liquid is syrupy and reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons. Watch carefully, lowering the heat and adding a little water if necessary to prevent scorching. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a plate. Reserve the syrup in the pan.
To serve, have ready 8 small bamboo skewers. Thread 1 onion, 1 cheese square, and a second onion onto each skewer, and arrange the skewers on a small platter. Drizzle with the reserved syrup, and sprinkle with a little piment d’Espelette.
Deviled Eggs and Shrimp
Deviled eggs are ubiquitous in tapas bars, but in San Sebastián, where pintxos have become quite elaborate, you will often see the eggs used as foundations for “skyscrapers” of skewered ingredients. This is my take on that tradition, with poached shrimp and guindilla peppers riding atop the eggs. The trick to getting the skewered eggs and shrimp to stand upright is to shave a little off the bottom of the egg white so it will rest flat. See tips on cooking the eggs, and the photograph of the finished dish. Makes 8 skewers
1 lemon
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Kosher salt
8 large shrimp (about ½ pound total), peeled, with tail segments intact, and deveined
2 tablespoons Aioli or mayonnaise
Kosher salt
Piment d’Espelette for finishing
Fleur de sel or other coarse salt for finishing
Put 2 quarts water in a large saucepan. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the water, and add the spent halves. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, and about 2 tablespoons salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 30 seconds, or until they just begin to turn pink. Drain and set aside.
Cut a thin sliver off of the opposite long sides of each hard-cooked egg, so the stuffed eggs will stand upright. Halve the eggs lengthwise and gently scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Set the whites aside. Press the yolks through a coarse-mesh sieve or mash them with a fork. Stir in the aioli, ¼ teaspoon piment d’Espelette, pimentón, and salt to taste. Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain or star tip, and pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Alternatively, use a small spoon to fill the egg-white halves.
To serve, have ready 8 small bamboo skewers. Skewer 1 shrimp and 1 guindilla pepper onto each skewer and place on a platter. Sprinkle a little piment d’Espelette and fleur de sel over all.
Scallops have a natural sweetness that pairs well with fruit. Also, because they are perfect little medallions of seafood, one or two of them make a terrific appetizer-size portion. See Scallops with Lychee Gazpacho for tips on shopping for dry-packed scallops. Makes 8 skewers
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Granny Smith or other tart green apples, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 celery stalks
8 dry-packed sea scallops (about ¾ pound)
Kosher salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
Heat a sauté pan over high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and warm it until it ripples. Add the apple cubes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned. Using tongs, turn and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned on the second side. They should be softened slightly but still firm. Transfer to a plate and set the sauté pan aside off the heat.
Have a bowl of ice water ready. Cut the tops and root ends from the celery stalks so the stalks are about 8 inches long. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the strings and cut each stalk on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces. Bring a saucepan filled with water to a boil, add the celery, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until softened but still slightly crisp. Drain and plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and dry with a clean kitchen towel. Return the pan used for the apples to high heat and heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and warm it until it ripples. Add the celery and sauté for 1½ to 2 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to the plate with the apples.
In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until it ripples. Sprinkle the scallops on both sides with salt and add them to the pan. Cook on the first side for 1½ to 2 minutes, or until browned. Using tongs, turn and cook on the second side for 1½ to 2 minutes, or until browned. The scallops should still be slightly translucent in the center. Transfer to the plate with the apples and celery.
To serve, have ready 8 small bamboo skewers. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and curry powder. Brush the oil over the scallops and apples. Top each scallop with an apple cube and then a celery piece and sprinkle with piment d’Espelette. Anchor each vertical stack with a bamboo skewer and arrange on a platter.
SAUSAGE and GUINDILLA PEPPER SKEWERS
Pintxos are small so that you can taste everything together in one or two bites. In this recipe, that means that you will get the bright acidity of the peppers, the sweetness of the onions, and the meatiness of the sausage in a couple of mouthfuls. Cantimpalitos are Spanish cocktail sausages, but any high-quality cocktail sausages can be used. Makes 4 skewers
4 pearl onions
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cantimpalitos (see headnote), about 1½ inches long and ½ inch in diameter
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4 slices baguette, ½ inch thick, lightly toasted
Have ready a small bowl of ice water. Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat, add the onions, and boil for 1 minute. Drain and plunge into the ice water until cool. Cut off the root ends and slip off the skins.
Rinse the saucepan and return the onions to it along with the butter, sugar, and ½ cup water. Place the pan over medium-high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are tender when pierced with a small knife. Uncover and boil until the water evaporates. The onions will begin to sizzle in the butter remaining in the pan. Continue to cook, turning the onions as needed, for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned all over. Remove from the heat and keep the onions warm.
In the same saucepan over medium heat, sauté the cantimpalitos for about 4 minutes, or until lightly browned on all sides and fully cooked.
To serve, have ready 4 small bamboo skewers. Spread a little mayonnaise on each baguette slice and place on a small platter. Thread 1 cantimpalito, 1 onion, and 1 pepper onto each skewer. Place each skewer on a baguette slice. Serve warm.