La Delicia

The iconic San Sebastián pintxo balances rich, salty anchovies with sharp onion vinaigrette and one surprising British condiment.

Serves
Makes 6 canapés
Time
50 minutes

PHOTO: SIMON BAJADA • FOOD STYLING: SONIA TAPIA IGLESIAS • PROP STYLING: ANA VILLAR

By Marti Buckley

Published on May 30, 2024

“When a classic pintxo has been around for nearly a hundred years and still flies off the bar counter, you can bet it is special,” writes author Marti Buckley of La Delicia in her cookbook The Book of Pintxos. In this superlative version from Bar La Espiga in San Sebastián, the sharp bite of the delicate onion-parsley vinaigrette balances the saltiness of the anchovies and the richness of the mayonnaise and hard-boiled eggs. The vinaigrette is versatile—it pairs beautifully with everything from white asparagus to grilled shrimp—so you might consider doubling that part of the recipe.

Buckley recommends using homemade mayonnaise and adding an optional splash of Worcestershire (a more recent touch dating back to the 1980s). As for what to drink, she suggests washing it all down with a glass of cava.

Featured in “The Pintxo Bars I Can’t Live Without in San Sebastián” by Marti Buckley.

Ingredients

3 large eggs
½ white onion
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup white wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Sunflower or vegetable oil, for drizzling
12 anchovy fillets in olive oil, preferably Cantabrian
Six ¾-in.-thick baguette slices, cut on the bias
¾ cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade
Worcestershire sauce (optional)

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Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully lower in the eggs and simmer until hard-boiled, about 12 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath (or alternatively to a colander and run under cold water) and set aside to cool.

Step 2

Peel the eggs, then transfer to a cutting board to dry. Remove the yolk from one egg and reserve for another use. In a small food processor, pulse the white until finely chopped, then scrape into a small bowl. Slice the remaining eggs lengthwise into 4 slices each. Cut the two middle slices of each egg (with the most yolk) in half crosswise (reserve the remaining slices for another use).

Step 3

In the food processor, pulse the onion until finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with the egg white. In the food processor, pulse the parsley until finely chopped. Scrape into the bowl with the onion and egg white, and stir to combine. Add the vinegar and season to taste with salt. Drizzle generously with oil, stir, and set aside to macerate for at least 15 minutes. (The vinaigrette will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.)

Step 4

To serve, lay two anchovies on each piece of bread. Dab ¼ teaspoon or so of mayonnaise in the center of each anchovy and place a slice of egg on top. Place 1 heaped teaspoon of mayonnaise on top of the egg slice. Working in batches, scoop up 1 heaped teaspoon of the onion vinaigrette and squeeze out the excess liquid. Mound the mixture over the anchovies to the left and right of the egg (do not cover the egg). Splash each pintxo with Worcestershire sauce if desired. Cut them in half, if desired, and serve.