Top 5 Basque dishes according to Pintura’s head chef

From Tortilla Vasca to the world’s naughtiest Mac and Cheese, here are Greg’s 5 dishes that sum up Basque cooking at its best.

1. Tortilla Vasca, the iconic runny Basque omelette.

As a chef, this dish is very difficult to get right but practice makes perfect, I spent six weeks at a London restaurant just learning the recipe! We tend to lose a few of these mid-service because it’s such a precise art & I curse it on a busy Saturday night at the restaurant, but when the three humble ingredients come together just so, they make the perfect dish.

2. Smoked Duck is the perfect start to your meal.

You can’t beat a good quality duck that has been smoked gently and treated with respect and it pairs perfectly with the traditional Basque white wine, Txokoli.

3. Bacalao cod cheeks, a Basque simplicity.

At Pintura, we take home-salted cod cheeks and fry them simply in Basque flour. Served with home-made Alioli and fresh chilli-spiked gremolata for flavour. These are beautiful, juicy and crispy morcels. Pulpo, traditional boiled Octopus with chillies and paprika has this same honest but delicious simplicity.

 4. Risotto Vasca, we’ve decided, is the world’s naughtiest Mac and Cheese!

A great dish that straddles the line between comfort food and indulgent treat, which obviously makes it an irresistible combination. One of my favourite ever dishes from San Sebastian, Spain.

5. Torrijas are a great pudding and a naughty cross between breadpudding and French toast.

Not the healthiest but the combination of custard, brioche and fried in caramel is just incredible.