Sample Basque mini open-faced sandwiches called pinchos

Tasty, little, diverse in terms of combination of ingredients, often colourful pinchos (pintxos in Basque language) can be found on the counter of every Basque bar or tavern. The name comes from the toothpick which usually hold together the slice of baguette and the ingredients placed on it, or which is simply stab into it (Spanish verb pinchar means stab, poke). Generally, the customer of such bar help himself to the pinchos located on the tray on the bar counter. It's hard not to notice that not all the sticks stabbed into pinchos are of equal length, frequently they have also different ends, which indicate a different price of each pincho. After the little sandwiches have been consumed, the sticks still remain on a plate, and that helps the waiter to calculate the bill. Perhaps you are wondering what is the difference between a pincho and a tapa. Well, according to Real Academia Española tapa is a small portion of food served as accompaniment to a drink, while a pincho is a portion of food consumed as an aperitif, which is sometimes stabbed with a stick. And now my yesterday pinchos:):

1. Pincho with beetroot hummus, a few slices of avocado, pickled green chili and radish sprouts.
2. Pincho with blue cheese, pear, walnuts and mint.
3. Piquillo pepper (pimiento de piquillo) pincho with sardine, anchovy and chopped chives.

Ingredients:

3 pieces of baguette (I used a rye bread)

3 teaspoons of beetroot hummus

3 slices of avocado and a squeeze of lemon juice

1 pickled green chili

radish sprouts

1 slice of blue cheese

2 slices of pear

1 walnut

a few leaves of mint

1 piquillo pepper

1 canned anchovy

1 canned sardine

chopped chives

Method:

Enjoy !!!