Bacalao al pil pil is salt cod slowly cooked in olive oil with garlic until the gelatin from the skin emulsifies the oil into a creamy pale-yellow sauce, served in the earthenware cazuela it was cooked in.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Bacalao al pil pil emerged in the 19th-century Basque cod trade, when Basque sailors brought back salted cod from the Newfoundland banks. The dish was first made in Bilbao around 1836, when a merchant named Gurtubay accidentally over-ordered salt cod during the Carlist Wars. The pil pil emulsion technique (the gentle shaking of the cazuela to bind the cod gelatin with garlic-infused oil) developed in Basque kitchens through the 19th century and remains the canonical preparation for salt cod across the Basque Country. Casa Vergara in San Sebastian's Old Town serves it as a pintxo on bread; Casa Urola and Bodegon Alejandro serve the full plate.
Common allergens: Fish
Tip from the editors. Soak the salt cod for a full 48 hours and change the water every 8 hours; under-soaked cod will be too salty and the pil pil will not emulsify. Use a thick earthenware cazuela for the even, gentle heat.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Casa Vergara on Calle Mayor in San Sebastian's Old Town since 1948 turns out the bacalao al pil pil pintxo for under 4 euros, the canonical budget bite from the church-step counter.
Try: Bacalao al pil pil pintxo with a glass of Txakoli
Tip: Terrace fills first; the pintxo plus Txakoli is under 6 euros.
Casa Urola on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian's Old Town keeps one of the most complete Basque wine lists in the Old Town, with Txakoli on tap and a deep Rioja Alavesa shelf upstairs.
Signature pour: Itsasmendi Txakoli by the glass
Wine focus: Basque Txakoli, Rioja Alavesa and growers
Food: Pintxos counter and full dining room upstairs
Tip: Drink Txakoli at the counter; the dining room upstairs lets you settle in with a half-bottle of Rioja.
Bodegon Alejandro on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian is the underground Old Town room where Martin Berasategui won his first Michelin star in 1986. Now Inaxio Valverde runs the kitchen.
Signature: Merluza a la donostiarra, Txuleta, Tarta de queso
Order: The merluza a la donostiarra in cazuela and the txuleta from the grill; finish with the burnt-top cheesecake.
Tip: Book the 14:00 lunch slot for the calmer service. The staircase entry is easy to miss; the door is set below street level.
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