Banderillas de Encurtidos
La Hora del Vermut: The Weekend Prelude
A four-inch wooden skewer sits heavy with the sharpest things in the pantry: a manzanilla olive, a folded anchovy, a pickled guindilla pepper. The American appetizer is too often a heavy, fried affair that kills the appetite before the meal even begins. The banderilla is an unpretentious bar snack, a sharp and salty little miracle. At a busy pintxo bar, a bartender never turns on the stove; they just pull these staples from the cupboard, stack them with purpose, and let the bite of cold vinegar and umami do the work. Fifteen minutes, zero cooking. Pour a glass of vermouth and eat them standing up.
Ingredients
- cornichons or baby dill pickles10 oz
- cocktail onions10 oz
- pimento-stuffed Spanish green olives6 oz
- mild pepperoncini10 oz
- jarred roasted red peppers12 oz
- oil-packed flat anchovy fillets2 oz
Method
- 01
Prepare the assembly station with fully dried ingredients.
Commercial American pickles and onions carry harsh brines that can quickly turn a sharp appetizer into a soggy mess; pat the cornichons, onions, and peppers completely dry with paper towels before starting.
- 02
Construct the skewers from the bottom up to ensure structural integrity.
Using 4-inch wooden skewers, spear a cornichon to act as the sturdy base, then add a rolled anchovy fillet, a folded strip of pepperoncini, a green olive, a square of red pepper, and cap it at the top with a cocktail onion.
- 03
Chill thoroughly and finish with anchovy oil.
The skewers must be served freezing cold to maximize their crispness. Keep them in the refrigerator until the exact moment of serving, then drizzle lightly with the reserved umami-rich anchovy oil to bind the sharp flavors together.
Notes
Control the heat to your family's preference.
In Spain, these skewers are strictly divided into sweet and spicy variants. If serving a crowd with a lower heat tolerance, simply omit the pepperoncini for an authentic, mild alternative.
From Cook Spanish in America.