The Aperitif Guy

The first time I visited Bilbao was in the late 1990s. My friend was a student there. It would never have crossed my mind to visit otherwise: ETA was still active; the town itself was sadly post-industrial (like so many Atlantic ports), and the only flights from the UK went via Brussels on an airline that was heading for bankruptcy. The Guggenheim Museum had recently opened in the old port district, to much disbelief and bemusement - why would any forward-thinking arts organisation open a prestigious gallery in such a town? Who would risk the disruption of separatist action to visit such a gallery?  Image: P Hodkinson Well, I was visiting and, as it turned out, so have many millions of people since. The Basque government had actually been very far-sighted when they approached the Guggenheim Foundation with an offer of significant financial investment in a gallery of contemporary art. What I found in Bilbao was a proud town that was not going to be defined, either by its declining m...

Our friend Chris, with whom I cook regularly and dine almost weekly, has a serious allergy to any seafood. Rather than risk killing a dear friend, I’ve learnt to avoid fish products in my aperitif foods. However, when he's not dining with us, I love to go all out with a full spread of fishy nibbles. Pintxos Gilda I think it was Escoffier who advised to serve all fish or no fish at all on canap és. I wouldn’t be so strict as that, but it does seem to make some sense. I can’t imagine potted crab or smoked salmon tasting right alongside cured beef or chicken liver parfait. A mix of fish and vegetable dishes can work beautifully, though. The advantage of serving a selection comprised only of seafood dishes, of course, is that you know for certain they’re going to complement each other. Octopus on chicory leaves and bottarga eggs When deciding what to serve, think about balances and contrasts. Try mixing two fish and one shellfish or one smoked, one soused and one ...