The 49th Bacalao al Pil Pil competition was held in Irun's Plaza Urdanibia, with organizers Jostailu already looking ahead to the 50th anniversary, despite the confirmed hot weather forecasts.
To cope with the heat, the gastronomic event started half an hour earlier, a necessary adjustment that not all chefs welcomed. The Irun City Council also implemented preventive measures, relocating the Children's Drawing and Painting Contest from the outdoor area of the parish to the CBA.
The weather significantly impacted the competition, reducing participation to about two-thirds of the usual number and noticeably decreasing the crowd of loyal followers.
Perhaps one of the regulars was exaggerating a bit when he said that 'if we put the pots on the sun-drenched tiles of the plaza today, I think we could have cooked the cod'.
Among the 29 dishes presented, José Barreiro's was judged the best, marking his first major victory in cod pil pil competitions. "I've had some third places here and in Hondarribia, but never won," he stated. Barreiro mentioned cooking comfortably, noting that "at times, a pleasant breeze even picked up." He attributed his success to the dish "binding well and doing so quickly," although he admitted to having "doubts because it seemed a bit short on oil," but concluded that "the cod was spectacular."
