Recipes and images by Fiona Hugues
In 1946 Rita Hayworth starred in a film portraying a character named Gilda who was beautiful, spicy and a little bit wild. Shortly after the release of the film, a bar in San Sebastian served a tapa that was salty, spicy and sharp, much like Rita’s part, and in doing so the delicious little olive, anchovy and guindilla chilli combo became known as the Gilda. Just shy of 80 years later, these exotic little skewers have returned to popularity and can be found in bars across all the cool cities. At this end point of the year I’m grateful to be only stabbing things that are delicious, like these Gildas and the ingredients of the following recipes, thus avoiding poking forks in my eyes to avoid witnessing some of the current craziness in the world. In saying that I won’t be too presumptuous and guarantee that my thoughts are purely confined to impaling food ingredients in the weeks ahead but can confirm each stab here is very therapeutic and a little act of culinary villainy. With all manner of my sharpest props becoming instruments of gleeful havoc, wickedly nothing is safe this summer: peaches, courgettes, grapes, lamb and possibly a few annoying relatives.
LITTLE PRICK STICKS – Or Gildas, depending on who you are serving
Large green pitted olives
Good quality anchovy
Guindilla chilli
At the end of a long day, stab a combination of each ingredient on small cocktail forks or picks. Lay on pretty plates and serve with your favourite cocktails. As an alternative to the chilli, you can use cornichons or white cocktail onions.
HALOUMI & COURGETTE WITH PICKLED PEACH
This combination is a delicious, light summertime dish to placate the vegetarians in your midst – I serve these skewers on salad leaves with plenty of crusty bread and a glass of chilled rosé.
halloumi cut into large 5cm chunks
peach or nectarine, cut into wedges
1 tbsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 courgette, shaved into ribbons
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
rocket & lettuce greens
FOR THE DRESSING
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
½ clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp runny honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
First make the dressing.
Add all the dressing ingredients to a small jar and shake well to combine. Taste and season to adjust.
Place the peach or nectarine wedges in a small bowl and sprinkle with the sugar, champagne vinegar and a little salt. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Set aside to cool.
Shave the courgette into ribbons, drizzle in a little EVO and fold tightly to make a stack. Stab onto a skewer and add the chunk of halloumi. Grill to toast in a dry pan or BBQ grill over medium heat until golden.
Add a wedge of the fresh pickled peach or nectarine and lay the skewers on leaves on a platter
Pour the dressing over the leaves and skewer and serve with plenty of crusty bread.
SACRIFICED LAMB WITH MINTY HERB SAUCE
These lamb skewers are lovely wee impaled meaty treats for easy festive entertaining. Make them as big or small as you like. Using sprigs of rosemary wood imparts lovely additional flavour to the meat. Mind, don’t use any twigs you’re not familiar with – I recall once upon a time a gormless chap killed his whole family dead using highly toxic oleander sprigs to BBQ a campside dinner. An unthinkable thing to imagine at an annual family gathering … or not.
500g approx. lamb leg meat, cubed
1 cup Greek yoghurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
lemon juice to taste
salt & pepper
FOR THE MINTY HERB SAUCE
a large handful of fresh herbs – basil, parsley & lots of mint
3 cornichons or 1 small gherkin
1 tbsp capers and juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey or raw caster sugar
2 anchovy fillets or a 2 cm squeeze of anchovy paste
flaky sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
Rosemary twigs, stripped, with leaves left on one end.
The day before, marinate the lamb. Mix all ingredients together, add the cubed lamb, mixing well to combine and place in a lidded container or sealable plastic bag kept in the fridge.
Make the minty sauce ahead of time so the flavours have time to get to know each other. To a small food processor or using a stick mixer, add the sauce ingredients and combine. Add lots of herbs from your garden – I prefer basil, flat leaf parsley and lots of mint for this one – and process to a fine green sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
The next day remove lamb from fridge and impale 5–7 pieces on each kebab skewer. Allow to come to room temperature, drizzle with a little olive oil then grill on high heat until browned, turning on all sides. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes then serve with the minty sauce.
Add flatbreads and cucumber salad with labneh to make a more substantial meal.
IMPALED GRAPES, DOUBLE CREAM BRIE & HOT HONEY
This dish looks wickedly pretty for your end of meal platters this holiday season. Easy to prepare, the roasted grapes add lovely sweet caramel flavours to gooey double cream brie. Make sure you have good bread to devour it all with.
Double cream brie – use the best you can afford
Falky salt
Seedless grapes
Hot honey
Spray olive oil
Chilli flakes (optional)
Crusty bread to serve
Pierce 10 grapes on each kebab skewer and spray with a little olive oil. Season with salt. Grill over medium heat until gently marked.
Serve with luscious creamy brie that has been brought up to room temperature so it’s lovely and soft and drizzle the whole lot in hot honey. Sprinkle with chilli flakes if using.