Throw a Summer Party the Effortless Spanish Way

I’d been living in the city a few months, and a handful of bars and restaurants near my apartment on Calle de las Huertas had already become “my spots.” I knew the bartenders’ names (even if they didn’t know mine). Walking home in the afternoon, I’d peer into one of my favorites to find Carlos and Luis behind the bar, quietly skewering anchovies, olives and pickles, preparing pintxos (pronounced peen-chos) in advance of the evening rush.

Gildas (White Anchovy, Pickled Pepper and Manzanilla Olive) Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal

From the verb pinchar, meaning “to puncture,” a pintxo is a bite-size bar snack typically, though not always, secured with a toothpick. A form of tapas, pintxos originated in the Basque country, specifically in the city of San Sebástian, considered by many the culinary capital of Spain. Throughout the country, night after night, you’ll find bars lined with platters of assorted pintxos, to complement the drinks on offer.

A spread of pintxos is blessedly uncomplicated to prepare and serve. And this style of eating, managed one-handed in one or two bites, facilitates the flow of drinking and conversation better than any other I know. If you want to enjoy your next gathering as much as your guests do, I recommend throwing a pintxo party.

Now, at my restaurant, Huertas, in New York’s East Village, we simply describe pintxos as “Basque bites.” Our recently published cookbook, “The New Spanish: Bites, Feasts and Drinks” (Kyle Books), devotes a chapter to them. A relatively modern development, pintxos first appeared in the 1930s. So guests could help themselves and sample widely, Basque restaurants miniaturized their offerings, spearing them with toothpicks and displaying them along the bar.

Unlike other forms of tapas, these items are not intended to be shared as small plates; rather, each guest can mix and match bites to his or her individual taste. While some bars offer hot pintxos, cooked to order, most are served at room temperature, so the work can be done ahead of time—ideal for a party, too.

Banderillas (Mixed Pickle Skewers) Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal

Skewer your own combinations of preserved fish, cured meats, cheeses and pickles, all terrific served at room temperature. Or follow the recipes that accompany this story. Stuff piquillo peppers with goat cheese ahead of time, then pop them in the oven just before serving. Make your own smoked trout salad, or buy some whitefish or tuna salad, and roll it up in thin ribbons of cucumber. Our egg salad recipe is simple enough, but you could even buy that already prepared, pile it on a tiny toast and top it with pre-cooked shrimp—just be sure to finish with a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon and a pinch of chile powder.

To keep the party humming along at the right clip, take another cue from the Spanish—legendary for their late nights, masters of the low-alcohol cocktail—and keep the drinks light and easy. At a pintxo bar, they aren’t mixing elaborate cocktails; they’re pouring wine, beer, vermouth or Sherry with a lightening splash of soda. At Huertas, inspired by the vermouth-on-tap in Spain, we developed our own house vermouth, which we mix with soda to make Tinto de Verano, an easy alternative to Sangria. Or we stir up the Mimosa’s Spanish cousin, Agua de Valencia, nothing more than sparkling wine and orange soda. The Spanish answer to a shandy, a Clara combines beer with lemon soda or lemonade. These refrescos can be enjoyed for hours on end without unwelcome dehydration or drunkenness derailing the fun.

It really can be as simple as that. Put out a few pintxos on platters, for guests to browse at their own pace. Fill out the spread with some Spanish almonds, cheese and cured meats. Set out the ingredients for a refresco or two. And watch the party flow.

Gilda (White Anchovy, Pickled Pepper, and Manzanilla Olive)

Total Time 20 minutes Makes 12 skewers

• 12 boquerones (marinated white anchovy fillets), such as Ortiz brand
• 12 manzanilla or other briny green olives, pitted
• 4 pickled guindilla peppers (also known as piperra), stemmed and cut crosswise into thirds

1. Pierce 1 anchovy fillet, close to one end, on a roughly 4-inch skewer or toothpick, leaving roughly ½ inch between anchovy and tip of skewer. Add an olive, wrap anchovy over olive and skewer anchovy again. Now add a piece of pepper, wrap anchovy over pepper and skewer the anchovy one last time to secure. (Alternatively, if you’d like to keep it simpler, just skewer an olive, a folded anchovy, and a piece of pepper.)

2. Repeat with remaining skewers and ingredients. Gildas are best enjoyed immediately but will keep, tightly covered and refrigerated, up to 3 days.

Rollos de Pepino con Trucha (Trout Salad in Cucumber Rolls)

Total Time 20 minutes Makes 12 toasts/16 skewers

• 2 (6-ounce) fillets smoked trout, bones removed, flaked into small chunks
• ¼ cup finely diced red onion
• ¼ cup finely diced celery
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• ⅔ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 lemon, halved
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium (about 5-inch) Kirby cucumbers

Rollos de Pepino con Trucha (Trout Salad in Cucumber Rolls) Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal

1. Make trout salad: In a large bowl, combine trout, onions, celery, chives, mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and juice of ½ lemon. Stir to mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Trout salad can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container, refrigerated.

2. Use a mandoline to slice cucumbers lengthwise into long ribbons. You want the slices to be as thick as possible while still being able to curl. When you reach the seeds on one side, flip cucumber and repeat process on other side. Depending on size of cucumber, you should be able to get at least 4 viable slices on each side before reaching seeds. Lay 16 cucumber slices on a clean work surface. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit 5 minutes. (This will draw out moisture and make them more pliable.)

3. Assemble rolls: Place about 1 tablespoon trout salad ½ inch from one end of each cucumber slice. Fold end of cucumber slice up and over salad, then keep rolling to create a tight cylinder. Repeat to assemble all rolls.

4. To serve, gently arrange rolls on a plate. Drizzle olive oil over top, followed by a squeeze of lemon juice from remaining lemon half, a sprinkle of sea salt and a few grinds of pepper. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 3 hours.

Piquillo Rellenos (Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Catalan Greens)

Total Time 40 minutes Makes 12 stuffed peppers

• 1 bunch Swiss chard or kale, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins, soaked in hot water 30 minutes, then drained
• 12 piquillo peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

Piquillo Rellenos (Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Catalan Greens) Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal

1. Remove chard leaves from stems. Roughly chop leaves. Dice stems. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and chard stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add chopped chard leaves and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Season with salt and pepper. (Go light on the salt, as the goat cheese will be salty).

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine chard mixture, goat cheese, pine nuts and raisins. Stir to combine well. Scoop filling into a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip. (Alternatively, you can use a large Ziploc bag. Cut off a corner to create a ½-inch hole.) Pipe goat cheese mixture into peppers to fill them, using about 3 tablespoons each.

3. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Swirl in remaining olive oil and arrange stuffed peppers in skillet, spaced as widely as possible. Sear until deeply caramelized, 3 minutes. Use tongs to flip peppers. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until filling is hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Pour vinegar into pan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits on bottom. Transfer peppers to a serving platter and drizzle pan sauce all over peppers. Serve immediately.

Black Gilda (Cured Anchovy, Piquillo Pepper, and Garlic Confit)

Total Time 20 minutes Makes 12 pintxos

• 12 cloves garlic
• 3 sprigs thyme, optional
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• Olive oil
• 12 anchoas (cured anchovy fillets), such as Don Bocarte brand
• 4 canned or jarred piquillo peppers, cut crosswise into thirds

Black Gilda (Cured Anchovy, Piquillo Pepper, and Garlic Confit) Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal

1. Make the garlic confit: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small saucepan or baking dish, combine garlic cloves, thyme sprigs and bay leaf, if using. Cover with enough olive oil so that garlic is completely submerged. Transfer to oven and cook until garlic is tender and lightly browned, about 90 minutes. Remove from heat and let oil to cool to room temperature. Garlic confit can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated in an airtight container up to a month.

2. Pierce 1 anchovy fillet, close to one end, on a roughly 4-inch skewer or toothpick, leaving roughly ½ inch between anchovy and tip of skewer. Add a strip of pepper, wrapping anchovy over pepper, and skewer anchovy again. Now add a garlic clove, wrap anchovy over clove and skewer anchovy one last time to secure. Repeat with remaining pintxos. Gildas are best enjoyed immediately, but will keep, tightly covered and refrigerated, up to 3 days.

Ensalada de Huevos y Camaroes (Egg Salad and Shrimp Toasts)

Total Time 30 minutes Makes 12 toasts

For the poached shrimp:

• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 8 jumbo shrimp, tails removed, peeled, and deveined
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the egg salad:

• 5 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled and cut into thumbnail-size pieces
• ¼ cup finely diced red onion
• ¼ cup finely diced celery
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 16 slices baguette, lightly toasted
• 1 teaspoon Espelette or other chile powder

Ensalada de Huevos y Camarones (Egg Salad and Shrimp Toasts) Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal

1. Make the poached shrimp: Fill a medium saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with equal parts ice and water. Remove pot of boiling water from heat and add shrimp. Stir shrimp around for about 90 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer shrimp to prepared ice bath. Let the shrimp cool completely (about 3 minutes), then drain and pat dry. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle lightly with the olive oil and toss to coat. (If not using immediately, store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 days).

2. Make the egg salad: in a large bowl, combine eggs, onion, celery and parsley, tossing gently to mix well. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, and olive oil and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper.

3. Assemble the toasts: Arrange a heaping spoonful of egg salad on each baguette slice, then top with a piece of shrimp. (If shrimp has been refrigerated, let come to room temperature for a few minutes before using.) Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over shrimp and sprinkle just a hint of chile powder all over. Serve immediately.

Banderillas (Mixed Pickle Skewers)

Active Time 30 minutes Total Time 8 hours (includes marinating cheese) Makes 16 skewers

For the pickled pearl onions:

• 2 cups pearl onions, peeled
• 1⅓ cups water
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf

For the mojo picón:

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• ⅔ cup olive oil
• ⅓ teaspoon hot pimentón
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cups almonds, coarsely chopped, optional

For the banderilla:

• 4 ounces young Manchego cheese (aged 3 months or less), cut into 16 cubes (about ½-inch)
• 20 quail eggs
• 16 cornichons
• 16 Pickled Pearl Onions
• 4 piquillo peppers, each stemmed and cut lengthwise into 4 strips

1. Make the pickled pearl onions: In a small saucepan, combine onions and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then drain immediately. Meanwhile, in a separate small pot, combine 1⅓ cups water, vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Add onions. The onions will float, so you will need to weight them down with a heatproof plate or lid that is smaller than the pot. Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before using or storing. Pickled onions will keep in their brine, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 3 months.

2. Make the mojo picón: In a small skillet over medium heat, combine cumin and coriander seeds. Toast, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Grind toasted seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pimentón and ground cumin and coriander. Allow spices to “bloom” in oil, about 15 seconds, taking care to avoid burning. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly, then transfer oil and spice mixture to a bowl. Add garlic, oregano, vinegar, salt and almonds, if using. Stir to mix well. Mojo picón can be made up to a week ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

3. For the banderilla: In a medium bowl, combine mojo picón and Manchego cheese, stirring to coat. Refrigerate overnight or up to a week. (This step can be omitted entirely if pressed for time).

4. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with equal parts ice and water and set aside. Reduce heat slightly to maintain a gentle simmer and add quail eggs. Cook 3½ minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs immediately to prepared ice bath. Let eggs cool at least a minute. Crack shells slightly and return to ice baths; let cool about 5 minutes. Drain and carefully peel eggs. (Note: you’ll have 4 extra eggs in case any aren’t up to snuff.)

5. Using thin skewers or long toothpicks, assemble 16 banderillas, threading 1 cheese cube, 1 quail egg, 1 cornichon, 1 pickled onion, and 1 piquillo strip on each. Enjoy immediately. Or, banderillas can be made up to two days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.

From left: Agua de Valencia (Sparkling Wine and Orange Soda); Clara (Light Beer and Lemon Soda); Tinto de Verano (Red Vermouth and Citrus Soda) Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal

Agua de Valencia (Sparkling Wine and Orange Soda)

Total Time 40 minutes Makes 1 drink

Make orange syrup: In a large saucepan, combine zest and juice of 8 oranges, 8 cups granulated sugar, 10 cups water and 2 tablespoons citric acid powder. Bring to a simmer over high heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 20 minutes. Transfer to airtight containers and chill. Orange syrup can be made up to 2 weeks ahead of time. Makes about 12 cups—enough for a party. // Pour 3½ ounces Cava or other sparkling white wine, ¾ ounces sweet white vermouth such as Cocchi Americano, ½ ounce orange syrup and 1 ounce vodka (optional) into a rocks glass. Add ice and stir well. Garnish with an orange twist.

Clara (Light Beer and Lemon Soda)

Total Time 30 minutes Makes 1 drink

Make simple syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Simple syrup can be made up to 4 weeks ahead. Makes about 2 cups. // Pour 10 ounces light beer such as Estrella, ¾ ounce simple syrup, ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice and 1 ounce bourbon (optional) into a pint glass. Add ice slowly, taking care not to spill beer over top, then stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Tinto de Verano (Red Vermouth and Citrus Soda)

Total Time 30 minutes Makes 1 drink

Make the citric syrup: In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine 2 cups hot water, 2 cups sugar and 5 teaspoons citric acid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Citric syrup can be made up to 4 weeks ahead. Makes about 4 cups. (If you want to skip this step, you can substitute Sprite Zero for citric syrup.) // Pour 2 ounces red vermouth, ½ ounce citric syrup or Sprite Zero , and 1 ounce gin (optional) into a rocks glass. Add add ice and stir well. Top with 2 ounces soda water and garnish with an orange twist.

—All recipes adapted from “The New Spanish” by Jonah Miller and Nate Adler (Kyle Books)