The 28th edition of San Sebastian Gastronomika – Euskadi Basque Country officially kicks off today, but yesterday morning it was already approaching that perfect boiling point. It did so with a tribute to the txipiron, “that small, magical creature about which we know a great deal, but about which there are also many legends that are not true”, explained Benjamín Lana, director of the congress. This event, which filled the Tabernas y Parrillas venue at the Kursaal, had a strong educational element, but it quickly moved from theory to practice, and attendees were able to sample up to seven different ways of cooking it.

The ‘magnificent seven’ of the txipiron – although a few more ended up joining them in the Kursaal kitchens – are chefs who have spent years, even decades, showcasing the txipiron through distinctive recipes that have become iconic both in our region and beyond. The baby squid croquette in its own ink was created by Ismael Vicuña (La Rampa); Iñaki Arrieta (Rekondo) prepared it stuffed; the Mexican chef Enrique Fleischmann (El Txoko de Getaria) presented his revolutionary marmitako made with begihaundi; Roberto Ruiz (HIKA Gastronomiko) treated us to those baby squid in their own ink using the very same recipe he inherited from the unforgettable José Juan Castillo, which so fascinated the Duchess of Alba; Pablo Loureiro (Casa Urola) surprised us with pochas stewed with baby squid noodles; Koldo Manterola and Pablo Vicari (Elkano) introduced the grill with charcoal-grilled baby squid; and Amaia Ortuzar (Ganbara) brought the tasting to a close by cooking it ‘a lo pelaio’, a method that sparked some debate when its origins were discussed. In any case, they were the sort of recipes that ‘transport you to other times and places, evoking people and eras’, said Benjamín Lana, recalling how his mother used to make stuffed baby squid.

It was Javier Yurrita, one of the congress’s founders, who conceived this tribute to baby squid months ago to showcase some iconic recipes from our cuisine. “It is one of the most prized fish in Gipuzkoa and lends itself to many variations,” he explained yesterday, although Lana also alluded to the universality of this fish.

Secrets and legacies

The event was hosted by Alberto Fernández Bombín, a writer and pub-keeper, who, after each demonstration, invited the chefs behind the various recipes to take the stage. They all shared the secrets of their respective dishes and showed their respect for a product to which they are deeply devoted. Roberto Ruiz went a step further and spoke of the importance of passing on these recipes – even if, as in his case, it happens almost spontaneously – but also of knowing how to convey the legacy embodied in each of these recipes. “In its simplicity, it is perfect. I can only say ‘amen’,” remarked Lana regarding Roberto Ruiz’s squid in its own ink, prepared today, before José Juan Castillo and long before Nicolasa Pradera.

A perfect pairing

The txakoli chosen to pair with these seven ways of cooking squid also shone in its own right. The choice fell on the Aitaren 2023, “a txakoli born almost in the sea”, as Jon Eizaguirre, owner and director of the winery, explained. This family-run project brought us a txakoli that was perfect in terms of alcohol content, ripeness and acidity – ideal for a midday like yesterday’s, which, thanks to everyone involved, turned out to be perfect.