Food lovers and party-goers take note: the Chipiron Festival is all about Basque gastronomy and a convivial atmosphere!
Dates: every year, July 13
Chipiron, the tasty little squid, is the undisputed star of this unmissable Henday summer festival. Enjoy it grilled, sautéed, in sauce, stuffed…
Every year, most of the town’s cultural and sporting associations get together on avenue des Mimosas (Plage district) and compete with each other to come up with original, gourmet recipes.
A real festival of flavours to discover!
The ingredients for success…
THE CHIPIRON FESTIVAL
The chipiron festival (or “Txipiroi Besta” in Basque) was first held in Hendaye in 1989, thanks to the Comité des Fêtes.
By late afternoon, the delicious aromas of these mollusks, concocted by chefs, invade the main artery of the beach (at the crossroads of Avenue des Mimosas and Boulevard du Général Leclerc), whetting the appetites of passers-by.
On the program: music, entertainment, tastings… and good spirits!
An event for all tastes
For this popular meal, long tables are set up in the middle of the street, made pedestrian for the occasion.
It’s here that regulars and summer visitors will be served by the various associations.
The musicians of the Zarpaï Banda, the sounds of trikitixas and other albolkas (traditional Basque instruments) give rhythm to the aperitif.
Chipirons in every sauce
Caught off the coast of Hendaye, this squid’s head no longer appears on the plate, even though it looks very nice on the poster!
Every association has its own recipe!
Frequently cooked in its own ink, it is particularly tasty, but the taste buds can wriggle even more, especially when accompanied by chillies and fried on a plancha.
To mark the occasion, the associations are adjusting quantities according to the number of summer visitors, so watch out… last-minute arrivals are likely to be frustrated.
As you digest, you’ll hear guitars and vocals as you dance the night away.
Meal prices
(no reservation required)
15 €
(baso berri: + 1 €)
Detailed program on
Information : Ville d’Hendaye – Pôle Animations et festivités
Tel. : 05 59 48 23 58
The Chipiron Festival is much more than a simple culinary tasting: it’s an opportunity to get together with friends and family, share convivial moments and enjoy the warm atmosphere of the Basque summer (sometimes refreshed by a few drops of rain).
Recipe from Erwan,
chef at Trattoria Della Nonna…
Cuttlefish ink pasta with chipirons and ventricina
Ingredients
For 500 g of fresh pasta (6 people)
– 5 eggs
– 500 g durum wheat semolina
– 1 teaspoon chipirons ink
Support
– 400 g chipirons
– 300 g ventricina or chorizo
– Dry white wine “grigio”
– Garlic
– Black chipirons ink
Step 1 – Prepare the ingredients: durum wheat semolina, eggs and ink. Put everything in a food processor or on a work surface and mix the wheat semolina with the 5 eggs until a dough forms. Add a teaspoon of ink in the middle of the mixture, then knead. The color should be uniform. No need to add salt, as the ink is already salty, and in any case, the cooking water is salty.
Step 2 – Leave the dough to rest in cling film for a few hours. Make dough pieces weighing around 60/65 g, then flatten them into a flat rectangle ready for the dough machine.
Step 3 – Pass them through the machine to flatten, then repeat 2 or 3 times, connecting the ends to create a ring. The machines are equipped with adjustable rollers that can be used to adjust the thickness of the dough. Start with a larger thickness, then gradually reduce, while sprinkling flour regularly to prevent sticking. Pass the dough through the machine several times.
Step 4 – Once you’ve reached the desired dough thickness, cut the dough neatly. Roll out the dough into tagliatelle rolls, remove and lightly flour to prevent sticking. Leave to air-dry; you can either keep them in a covered dish in the fridge or cook them directly. Cook fresh pasta for 3 minutes.
Step 5 – For the side dish, prepare the chipirons, ventricina, garlic, dry white wine and squid ink. Brown 3/4 of the ventricina in the hot pan, followed by the garlic. Wait 5 minutes, then add the chipirons: be careful, they can be cooked quickly (5-10 min) or very long (40 min).
Step 6 – Add the teaspoon of squid ink to the pan, followed by some of the pasta cooking juices to bind and create a gourmet sauce. Simmer for a few minutes, then arrange on a plate.
Step 7 – Garnish the plate with cherry tomatoes and flat-leaf parsley to add color.