Campervan Cooking Adventures - Basque Coast Caldereta

Campervan Cooking Adventures - Michael from @ChefCampers 

I’m often asked, “Where have you enjoyed the most?”

After seven years of full-time vanlife and thousands of miles across Europe, that’s not an easy question to answer. But if you narrow it down to the best place I’ve eaten, my answer comes quickly: San Sebastián.

As a chef, it ticks every box. Tucked into Spain’s rugged northern coastline, San Sebastián is a city that lives and breathes food. Not in a fussy, fine-dining kind of way (though it has more Michelin stars per square metre than almost anywhere) but in a deeply local, deeply joyful way. Pintxos bars spill onto the cobbled streets of the Old Town, each one serving small masterpieces on bread. Anchovies, grilled prawns, slow-cooked beef cheeks, spicy peppers... all washed down with cold txakoli (the local wine) or a short beer.

I like to think of it as a bar crawl with a buffet. Each place has its own specialty pintxos. It’s a bit like tapas, but on steroids. More creative, slightly bigger, and somehow more alive. You order one or two at each stop, drop your napkin on the floor (yes, really, that’s tradition), then stagger cheerfully to the next spot. If you need a place to point your compass, head to Bar Ganbara in the Old Town. Known specifically for its tartaleta de txangurro, a mini savory tart filled with spider crab, tomato, garlic, and sometimes a hint of cream, it’s often called the best crab pintxo in the city.

It felt strange at first, dropping litter inside a café. But when in Donostia, you go with the flow.

San Sebastián is one of the few cities I genuinely look forward to sleeping in overnight with my campervan. I usually avoid cities in my camper. I don’t like parking headaches, risk of theft, and rows of tourist-trap restaurants. San Seb breaks all the rules for me.

There’s an aire (a designated motorhome parking area) on the university side of town: quiet, leafy, and safe. Last time I stayed, it was €9.90 for 72 hours, with a water tap and toilet disposal point. Just around the corner, you’ll find a charming neighbourhood, and within ten minutes you’re at the first beach in the bay.

Walk another 40 minutes along golden sand or the promenade, and you’ll land in the Old Town.

It’s there that the pintxos scene comes alive. At first glance, the bars look like nothing special. But visit during the lunchtime or evening rush, and you’ll find the streets packed with locals and travellers wearing the unmistakable look of pure joy.

Stepping into my first bar, I was struck by the prices. Five euros for a small plate of food and a short beer? Cheap. Then you taste the food and realise it’s really cheap. It’s fresh, seasonal, and unapologetically Basque. Flavours that speak for themselves. No gimmicks. No over-styling. Just good honest food that needs no massive introduction.

Fish, pork, and steak all have their place in San Seb. And most of it is cooked over real wood fire, not gas. Maybe it was the short beers, maybe the txakoli, but somewhere between bites I stood still and realised my career as a chef was about to take a new direction.

I no longer felt the urge for complicated gadgets or multi-course tasting menus. I wanted to cook simple dishes, in the simplest way, with stunning results. Let the ingredients do the talking. Let the farmers, the fishermen, and nature do the hard work. I would just bring it all together, like a conductor leading a brilliant orchestra. I just want to cook the food that I enjoy cooking and enjoy eating with friends.

This dish is exactly that. A simple, humble fish stew, packed with flavour and made with ingredients as fresh as they are in San Seb. It’s not traditional, but it’s inspired by everything I loved there. Bold flavours, simple cooking, and incredible produce. Smoky prawns, scallops, and cod come together with spicy txistorra and sweet tomatoes, finished with fresh samphire and torn bread. A one-pan recipe that speaks of the coast, the van, and the kind of food that makes you stop and really taste.

Basque Coast Caldereta

(Serves 2 hungry people)

Ingredients

​​●  80g txistorra or chorizo

​​●  1 shallot, diced

​​●  2 cloves garlic, minced

​​●  1 tsp olive oil

​​●  1 tin (400g) finely chopped tomatoes (I like Mutti brand)

​​●  1 glass txakoli or white Rioja

​​●  6–8 prawns, shells on

​​●  4–6 scallops

​​●  2 pieces fresh cod

​​●  Fresh chilli (optional)

​​●  Butter

​​●  A handful of samphire

​​●  Lemon wedges, to serve

​​●  Crusty bread, for dipping

Method

1. Dice the shallot, garlic, and txistorra (or chorizo). Add them to a preheated pan with the olive oil. Cook until the shallot is soft and the sausage has released its smoky paprika oils (about 3–5 minutes)

2. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for a couple of minutes.

3. Nestle the cod into the sauce, pour in the wine, and let it gently poach.

4. Meanwhile, sear the scallops quickly in a separate pan, then add them to the fish pot. You can pre-cook your scallops before anything else and just rest on a plate, add them back into the sauce at the same time.

5. Grill the prawns directly over the BBQ, basting with butter (baste with a chilli if you like heat). Once cooked, add them to the stew, the smoke will give the sauce incredible depth.

6. Warm the samphire in a little butter and lemon juice, or serve it fresh and raw for a bright, salty crunch.

7. Serve the stew hot with the samphire on top, a wedge of lemon, and plenty of torn bread for mopping up the sauce.