Getaria: September 2021

If Spain has been the birthplace of avant-garde cuisine, it has also been instrumental in revitalizing a more produce-driven cuisine, especially in the Basque country. Elkano is one of the sacred places, a shrine built for grilled turbot.

Getaria, as a coastal city in the heart of Gipuzkoa, has a rich maritime heritage. Its location on the Cantabrian Sea and the Gulf of Biscay gives it access to a bounty of seafood that has shaped its culinary identity. No wonder it would give birth to a restaurant like Elkano.

The Rise of Elkano

The restaurant’s story began in 1964, when Pedro Arregui returned from a two-year stay in Germany and opened Bar Elkano in his grandmother’s house. Pedro’s concept was simple: to provide sailors with a space where they could enjoy the day’s fresh catch, cooked in a straightforward manner.

Pedro ignited a small revolution by grilling a hake head, a bold departure from the Spanish norm of reserving them for soups and stews. Word of his technique quickly spread through the town. As curiosity grew, visitors flocked, lines formed, and Elkano became a destination.

Soon after, Pedro took a similar route inspired by a customer’s interest for turbot. Rather than the traditional practice of using the head for soup and cooking the body on a pan without its skin like sole, Pedro reached for a ‘besuguera’ – a typically reserved for smaller fish like sea bream. This larger fish, grilled skin-on, became an instant hit in Getaria. The final touch was introduced by his mother Joxepa, who created a special seasoning which the restaurant refers to as ‘agua de Lourdes’, a concoction of oil, salt, and vinegar. This would become a hallmark of Elkano, where the turbot is served deboned and drizzled with this flavourful mix.

Elkano witnessed a resurgence of energy in 2002 when Aitor Arregui, son of Pedro, joined the establishment after transitioning from a career in football. Aitor quickly proved his talent and charisma, earning praise for his management of the dining room. 2014 was bittersweet for Elkano. They faced the sorrow of losing their founder, Pedro, but also the joy of being awarded a Michelin star, an honour largely attributed to Aitor’s refurbishments.

Since then, Aitor has not only maintained Elkano’s high standards, but also extended its influence beyond Getaria. In 2016, he opened Cataria in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz. Recently in 2023, he added another restaurant to his portfolio: Guethary, inside a hotel in Mallorca. Indeed, this kind of produce-driven cuisine was on the rise. Already in 2018, Tomos Parry had presented Brat, a London-based version of Elkano holding great success.

Simplicity and a produce-driven cuisine

Aitor and Pedro’s philosophy is deeply rooted in two ideals: pristine produce and the elemental magic of fire. The quality of the produce demands freshness and proximity, but to truly honour the fish’s quality, one must understand its origins: its habitat, what it eats, and its health. The life cycle of the fish determines the optimal time for its consumption. As an illustration, the best turbot is found just before spawning, usually in late spring, when it feeds itself on a diet of oily fish. Meanwhile, the flavour of a fish is intricately linked to its environment and diet. For instance, fish from rocky terrains exhibit a stronger iodine flavour than their deep-sea counterparts. At Elkano, this understanding isn’t just theoretical; they actually examine the animal’s gut to decipher its diet.

In second place comes the cooking method. Fire is valued for its capacity to highlight the fish’s inherent characteristics. It is seen as the purest way to cook it. Technique matters, but the quality of the fish remains paramount. After all, the real flavours and textures arise from the fish, not the flames.

Preparing turbot is simple, with some subtleties. The skin is kept intact and seasoned with ‘agua de Lourdes’ and coarse salt. It’s then grilled over holm oak coals in a besuguera, lending a subtle smoky touch. This process crisps the white skin, while the dark skin becomes delightfully gelatinous. Unlike the traditional sole meunière where skin is removed, the overall texture is creamier, richer and gelatinous – traits that are highly valued in Basque cuisine. It’s all thanks to the high content of fat and collagen in the skin.

The venue: dining room and wine selection

Located in a corner and designed like the bow of a ship, Elkano holds a maritime interior with dark wood panels and terracotta tiles. The ambiance conveys a mood of formality as well as conviviality. It’s the kind of place you would imagine affluent Catholic families choosing for a meal after mass. Tables are set with fine linens, and dishes are presented on crockery from brands like Miandku and Pordamsa.

The wine list is remarkable. The selection of Spanish wine is obviously rich and diverse, showcasing both established producers and emerging ones (Envínate, Suertes del Marqués, Colet Navazos). It also offers a comprehensive range of French wines, especially Champagne and Burgundy, with names such as La Closerie, Ulysse Colin, Selosse, Krug, de Moor, Sauzet, Dauvissat, Roulot, Montille, Lafon or Jean Foillard among others. They also hold some excellent examples of German Riesling from Dönhoff, Clemens Busch, Ökonomierat Rebholz or Wittmann.

Having passed by Artadi that same morning, we were tempted to choose their Izar-Leku.

Some of Elkano’s classics

Ordering à la carte is probably the most common and most sound choice, offering great value and adapting to your taste. The selection is heavy on seasonal seafood, but also includes the famous Basque txuleta.

As per Michelin guide directives, the menu starts with an amuse-bouche and ends with petits fours. The amuse-bouche in our case was a cured ventresca (belly) of tuna, served on some salsa verde and garnished with a fresh tomato purée and piparras.

Another classic is the Kokotxas in different preparations, fried, grilled and al pilpil. Kokotxas or hake neck are a well known delicacy in the Basque country. Their high fat and collagen content turns them extremely gelatinous and creamy when cooked properly. The fried version offers a textural contrast, whereas the pilpil sauce blends the kokotxa‘s gelatine with olive oil to emphasize its natural creaminess. Yet, the grilled method, pioneered by the Arregui family, truly shines. Using a specially-designed tool a la Etxebarri, they grill it for a couple of minutes at high heat, infusing a smoky hint and amplifying the fish’s iodine notes. The creamy, slightly sticky, texture of the moist fish is addictive.

We continued with a grilled txangurro prepared a la donostiarra, where the red and white crab meat are pulled and mixed with caramelised onions and tomato before baking it. Here, cooked on the grill, this traditional Basque dish gets that wholesome touch of the holm oak coal too.

The star of the meal is undoubtedly the grilled turbot. This fish is so revered that it’s served unaccompanied on the plate, allowing its beauty to shine. Lying on its back, its crispy, charred white skin is on full display. Every guest enjoys slices from both sides of the fish, as well as the gelatin-rich wings. If fortunate, Aitor himself will serve it in front of you, emulsify the ‘agua de Lourdes’ with the gelatinous juices released by the fish and serve it as a sauce.

Even when served in September, long time past its prime season of May or June, the fish is incredibly rich, with plenty of gelatine. The caramelized white skin whispers of smokiness, while the darker side offers a meatier bite with a gel-like skin texture. The sticky texture of the wings is pure bliss. Still, the best part is the head, traditionally considered to be the most noble part, with the neck and cheeks are oozing with fat and gelatine.

The desserts were simple. Our rice pudding was perhaps a tad too runny. The grilled figs with fresh milk ice cream were great.

The meal ends with a couple of honey financiers and chocolate truffles as petits fours.