Crazy for Kokotxas

*Here is the first of my posts from the last few days of my Bilbao stay. Sorry for the delays (availability of internet has been scarce this past week).

Thursday, June 21st
With the final exam tomorrow, there isn't much that I can do aside from study. However, I'd figure I'd treat myself to a little reward for my studious sacrifice. After reviewing my notes from class, I decided to head back down to Casco Viejo for Round 2 at Rio-oja. This time, I decided to go with these two dishes: pimientos rellenos and kokotxas.

Pimientos rellenos: fried and filling

Kokotxos, a true Basque delicacy

The pimientos rellenos isn't too different from the chile rellenos you can find back home at any typical Mexican restaurant. Because pimientos are popular (and delicious) here in the Basque Country, they are often used in a variety of dishes. They were nicely fried and filled with a sort of creamy meat, almost cheese-like, sauce. Like I said before, the food here is very rich (filled with yummy oil and cream) and these were no exception. To complement my fried peppers were thick french fries, which served great as sauce absorbers. Although it was ultimately a heavy start to my meal, the chef graciously relieved my taste buds by serving these fried companions with a generous serving of chopped pimiento. Like a cross between a tomato and a red pepper, these pimientos provided the light tang needed to balance the dish.

Oozing with flavor

As for the kokotxas, I didn't expect anything too surprising when I ordered them. One of the USAC admins recommended them, saying it came from some part of the fish near the head. I've tasted about every part of a fish before so I thought nothing could really catch me off guard. Needless to say, I was gladly proven wrong. The pieces of fish were extremely tender and coated with a then layer of fish fat/jelly. They were served with a few clams and a prawn; however, the "piece de resistance" was the green sauce all the seafood was covered in. Any description I could possibly put together wouldn't do the sauce justice; however, think of mixture of butter and ocean water. Such a rich sauce paired with relatively light seafood makes this dish #1 in my list of best foods this trip. (*Note, I later found out that kokotxas refers to the cheeks/throat of a hake; therefore, explaining its oh-so-desirable texture).

Forget pearls; these are the real treasurers of the ocean

After soaking up every last bit of sauce with my bread and consuming the remains of my delicious fish cheeks, a feeling of utter content overtook my body. With no worry about the final exam tomorrow (or anything for that matter), I headed home to sleep off my delicious meal.