Bar El Globo ★ 4.5
Bar El Globo on Calle Diputacion in Bilbao since 1997 anchors the Indautxu pintxo crawl with the canonical txangurro (spider crab) gratin counter.
Try: Txangurro gratin pintxo
History
Txangurro a la donostiarra was codified by chef Felix Ibarguren 'Shishito' at the Sociedad Gaztelubide in San Sebastian in the early 20th century, but the spider crab tradition runs along the entire Cantabrian coast. Bilbao's pintxo bars run a miniature gratin version on a slice of bread, served counter-top, while restaurants serve the full caparazón. Bar El Globo on Diputacion in Bilbao is the canonical Bilbao pintxo version since 1997; restaurants like Casa Rufo run the full-shell preparation in season.
Common allergens: Shellfish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 large spider crab (centollo), about 1.5kg
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
- 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
- 30ml brandy
- 50ml white wine
- Butter, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper
Method
- Boil the spider crab in salted water 15 minutes. Cool, then pick all the meat from the body and legs. Reserve the shell, clean it thoroughly.
- Sweat the onion and leek in butter for 10 minutes until soft.
- Add the tomato, cook 5 more minutes.
- Add the brandy, flame off, then pour in the wine. Reduce 3 minutes.
- Stir in the picked crab meat, taste for salt and pepper.
- Pile the mixture back into the cleaned crab shell, top with breadcrumbs and dots of butter.
- Grill under a hot broiler 3 minutes until the crust is golden. Serve immediately.
Tip from the editors. If you cannot find spider crab, brown crab (buey de mar) works the same way. The shell matters: it carries the heat and serves as the plate.
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.
Where to eat txangurro a la donostiarra
Txangurro a la donostiarra in Bilbao
Casa Rufo ★ 4.5
Casa Rufo on Hurtado de Amezaga in Bilbao since 1955 grills the canonical Bilbao txuleta over open flame, between deli counter and dining room.
Signature: Txuleta, Bacalao al pil pil, Pimientos del piquillo
Order: The txuleta from the grill; the bacalao al pil pil as the starter.
Tip: Lunch 13:30 to 16:00, dinner 20:30 to 23:00; closed Sundays. The deli counter is worth a look.
Mina 1 ★ ★ 4.7
Mina has held one Michelin star since 2013 for Alvaro Garrido's modern-Basque tasting menu, now a 25-cover Indautxu room on Calle Ercilla.
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