Daniel Olivella
Boquerones with pear and Idiazabal cheese shavings

“The trick with this dish is finding good quality boquerones, called white anchovies in North America. The type of pear matters less than the ripeness. I use whatever is in season and looks best. As for the cheese, I like the smokiness of Idiazabal cheese, a luscious paleyellow sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque Country and Navarre. Other dry, aged cheeses like Parmesan can be substituted. I love contrasts in flavors and textures, and this simple dish perfectly exemplifies that.”

Wash the pear and cut into quarters. Remove the core but do not peel (the skin adds texture and color to the dish).

Cut each quarter into 6 to 10 irregular, lengthwise strips, and place, roughly overlapping the pieces, onto small salad plates. Next, layer on the boquerones. These will be placed in a crosshatched pattern. Lay 2 or 3 boquerones parallel to each other on top of the pear. On top, in a perpendicular direction, place, parallel to each other, 2 or 3 more fillets. Shave the cheese into wispy curls—it should be as if falling from the sky— over the boquerones. With a small spoon, drizzle some of the reserved white wine vinegar around the edge of the plates.