Gildas – the classic Basque pintxo

Drain the pitted Manzanilla olives, anchovy fillets in olive oil and pickled guindilla peppers (piparras) well to remove any excess liquid.

Thread a pickled guindilla pepper onto one end of a cocktail stick.

Fold an anchovy fillet in half and thread it onto the stick immediately after the pepper.

Slide a pitted Manzanilla olive onto the stick.

Fold the free end of the anchovy back into an ‘S’ or ‘Z’ shape to hold everything together.

Repeat the process until you have made 15–20 Gildas.

Serve immediately as an aperitif with white wine, vermouth or cold beer.