We Love These Buttery, Savory Pintxos Matrimonio so Much, We’d Marry Them

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Frozen puff pastry and tinned anchovies mean you can make these popular Spanish tapas in a flash.

By Ryan Bartlow

Updated on October 4, 2023

Tested by

Nicole Hopper

Frequently asked questions

What are boquerones?

Boquerones are anchovies, but differ from the anchovies available in tins and jars that are simply packed in oil or salt. Boquerones are marinated white anchovies that have been packed in a combination of oil and vinegar.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

If you can’t get salt-packed anchovies or don’t want to deal with soaking and filleting them yourself, we think this would still be great with high-quality oil-packed anchovy fillets.

Filleting anchovies is easier than it might sound — you don’t need to use a knife or anything. Just lift off one fillet, then lift off the spine from the second fillet — it’s easiest to lift and peel from the tail end towards the head end.

Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) package frozen all-butter puff pastry (such as Dufour), thawed for 10 minutes
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
8 salt-packed whole anchovies
16 boquerones (vinegar-marinated white anchovies)
Flaky sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut puff pastry into 16 (4- x 1 1/2-inch) rectangles, and place on a lined baking sheet. Place another large rimmed baking sheet directly on top of puff pastry. Bake in preheated oven until puff pastry is golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack until room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together olive oil, parsley, and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside at room temperature until ready to assemble.
Rinse salt-packed anchovies under cold running water to remove salt. Place in a small bowl, and cover with cold water. Let soak until anchovies are plump and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Pat anchovies dry. Using your fingertips, carefully fillet anchovies by starting where the body meets the tail, and pry open along the back, lifting out backbone to yield 2 fillets. Rinse fillets again to remove any fine bones; pat fillets dry.
To assemble the pintxos, place 1 anchovy fillet, skin side down, and 1 boquerone, skin side up, lengthwise on top of each piece of puff pastry. Stir garlic-parsley mixture, and spoon a small amount (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) down the center of each pintxo. Season with a pinch of flaky salt, and serve immediately.