Is there anything better than a plate of sardines, charred over coals, eaten at a paper-clothed table with the sea breeze on your face?
Algarve seafood is the soul of this region’s kitchen, and once you have tasted fish that was swimming in the Atlantic that very morning, the supermarket back home never quite measures up.
Straight from the Atlantic
The Algarve has been a fishing coast for centuries, and it shows. From the month of June, sardine season begins and grills appear on pavements and beachfronts everywhere, scenting the warm evening air.
Order them simply, with boiled potatoes, a splash of olive oil and a tomato salad – you will have the most honest meal in Portugal.
Beyond sardines, look for grilled sea bream, sea bass, octopus and cuttlefish, all caught locally and treated with respect.
The dish that defines the region
If sardines are the everyday joy, cataplana is the celebration. Named after the hinged copper pan it is cooked in, this fragrant stew of clams, fish, chouriço, peppers and white wine will arrive steaming at the table, ready to be shared.
It is a comfort food and a showpiece in one. And when you fancy a hearty change from fish, the northern import, francesinhas, has firmly crept onto Algarve menus.
Markets worth the early start
For the full experience, rise early and visit a working fish market. The markets along the Algarve, notably in Portimão, Lagos and Olhão, brim with the day’s catch at prices that will make you blink, alongside fruit, vegetables and the odd tin of beautifully packaged sardines that make a fine edible souvenir.
And don’t forget to look out for local food festivals that pop up throughout the summer months.
Cook it or simply savour it
One of the quiet pleasures of a holiday rental is the kitchen. Buy your fish at the market, fire up the barbecue on the terrace, and pour a crisp local white, perhaps something from the region’s growing wine scene.
Not in the mood to cook? Even better, every village has a tasca where the grill master knows exactly what to do.