Hi mirage,

Cataplana is a traditional dish which you will find everywhere. It's like a wet casserole cooked and served in a cataplana which is like a wok with a lid! Seafood cataplana is the one to try, I think, but you can also get chicken and meat versions.

Sardines grilled outdoors with some Portuguese wine can't be beaten. The favourite wine on this forum is probably Monte Velho, and the red and white are equally good, I think, although some might disagree!

You are usually served a couvert of olives, cheese and sardine pate with bread. This can vary from hard olives, Dairylea and fish paste to something quite exceptional which includes other delicious bits and pieces. If you don't want it, and say so straightaway, you will not usually be charged for it, but if you eat even one olive you will!

Hope you enjoy your first holiday in Portugal and want to return again and again.

Hi mirage,
As a starter you could try Calde Verde - a traditional Portuguese soup made with potatoes and kale with pieces of chorizo sausage in it.
Grilled Sole (linguado grelhado)"Algarve style" could give you a pleasant surprise;every chef seems to have his own special version and,over the years, I've had fillets of the freshest and nicest Sole imaginable grilled with orange & lemon, with almonds and even with banana-all of them equally as good,though, if I had to choose a favourite it would be the banana one !
Chicken Piri-piri is a hot(ish) spicy dish available in most Portuguese restaurants and you must sample Pasteis da Nata - small custard tarts baked fresh every day - don't think they're just small egg custards as at home - they're much,much nicer than that; if you want just one,ask for "uma pastel da nata"
I'm sure you'll enjoy the Portuguese cuisine and don't be afraid to ask for descriptions if you're unsure - the Portuguese will only be too pleased to help you decide.Enjoy !!!

Hi Mirage,

For a start, good on you for trying the local food. Can never understand people who just stick to British fare, half the fun of holiday is eating out so why not show some adventure?

My faves are chicken piri piri, especially when you get chichen breast. We stayed in Guia last year and apparently that's the place to get the best Sardines in Guia are great also.

Local sea bass and golden bream are fantastic, done various ways and a couple of times I have had Swordfish Algarve style. Basically it was cooked in butter, white wine, garlic and caramelised onions although other places will all do it differently no doubt.

Also steak algarve is nice, done in a small casserole type dish with sliced potatoes, onions and thin slices of ham.

Cataplana as mentioned is fab but is usually for 2 and make sure you are hungry as its a big feed. I lost a tooth once however eating a seafood one a few years back as it had a bit of shell in it.

They go in for flambe desserts quite a bit also(depends where U eat) and I had flambe pineapple once with strawberries and rum and raisin ice cream....nice

Hungry all of a sudden....enjoy as the foods fab.

Lummie

Don't forget espada which is the white meat from the scabbard fish: delicious and not at all fishy to taste.
Not to be confused with the estapada which is Portuguese steak. BTW I have never yet come across a decent plate of chips in Portugal: they all seem to be thin, not chunky as I like them.

Thank you for all of your replies, keep them coming in, I especially like the Peri Peri suggestions as I love spicy food, but as for chips, I like the local cuisine not British food when on holiday.

chips historically are not British but french, and are available in most countries in Europe

wizard

It is strange about the chips as that is what my husband likes about Portugal he never touches them at home but really enjoys them there.Also the sole with banana I have only tried it once but did'nt like the combination .But love the fresh fish that you can get.

chips historically are not British but french

Actually they were invented by a Belgian!!!!
The Belgians are noted for claiming that "French" fries are in fact Belgian, but definitive evidence for the origin has not been presented. Whether they invented them, 'frites' quickly became the national snack and a substantial part of both national dishes - making the Belgians their largest consumers and to Europe at least their "symbolic" creators.

The Belgian historian Jo Gerard recounts that potatoes were already fried in 1680, in the area of "the Meuse valley between Dinant and Liège, Belgium. The poor inhabitants of this region allegedly had the custom of accompanying their meals with small fried fish, but when the river was frozen and they were unable to fish, they cut potatoes lengthwise and fried them in oil to accompany their meals."

The term 'frites' lends itself to puns with the name 'Fritz'. In 1857, the newspaper Courrier de Verviers devotes an article to Fritz, a Belgian entrepreneur selling French fries at fairs, calling him "le roi des pommes de terre frites". In 1862 a fries shack (frietkot, see below) called "Max en Fritz" was established near Het Steen in Antwerp.[5]

Another Belgian legend claims that the term 'French' was introduced when British or American soldiers arrived in Belgium during World War I, and consequently tasted Belgian fries. The supposedly called them 'French' as it was the official language of the Belgian army at that time.[6][7] The term 'French fried potatoes' had in fact already become in use long before the War.

Back to the original thread:

Mirage here are the dishes I try to eat at least once when I'm on hols in the Algarve:

Espetada de tamboril
{a skewer of monkfish wrapped in bacon interspaced with pieces of green pepper and onion} Very popular throughout the Algarve. Try it in a quality restaurant !

Feijoada de choco
{baked haricot beans with octopus} Feijoada is a classical Portuguese dish made usually with meat and chourizo. However, this version is done with fish ! Popular with fishermen. This dish is not so easy to find in restaurants but popular in Olhão (near Faro)

Arroz de marisco
{rice with a variety of fish and seafood} Like paela but no meat! Just fish and king size prawns!

Gambas grelhadas com alhinho
{huge king size prawns grilled or fried with garlic} this is amazingly nice with Sagres or SuperBock beer!

Bacalhau com natas
{an oven bake of cod and potato in a creamy sauce} Akin to fisherman's pie but 100 times tastier. You will want to repeat and have seconds!

Ameijoas com carne de porco
{clams with pieces of pork} The Algarve is rich in clams. Here the clams are combined with meat to great effect. Must be the white wine, parsley and other herbs used !

Choquinhos com tinta
{cuttlefish with boiled potatos} OK this one is not so popular with tourists: the cuttlefish are young and tender and fried in a dark sauce (find out what this sauce is!)

Caldeirada de peixe
{fish, potatoes, green and red peppers, tomatoes, coriander in fish stew} Not exactly a soup but not far from it. The impressive thing will be the variety of fish used.

Grilled fish
{different varieties served with boiled potatoes and salad} There are lots of different fish good for grilling - espada is great but others are great too. Is it the fish or the charcoal or both?

Febras de porco com batatas fritas
{pork steaks with chips} Marinated in garlic and bay leaf and fried in olive oil/butter. I'm not fussy with the chips ;-). Washed down with Reguengos de Monsaraz red wine.

Carne assada no forno
{roast meat cooked with potatoes} This is a 'wet' roast and perfect when cooked with dried plums and castanhas and chestnuts. My favorite is the kid roast done in Monchique restaurants!

I know I've forgotten a few other good ones!

BTW I'm sick of chicken but I can never resist at least 1 meal of churrasco de galinha com molho piri-piri and chips!

Algarvean soups and Portuguese soups in general like Caldo Verde are incredibly healthy and tasty + extremely varied.

Please go quickly and enjoy!

Tell us of your favs when you come back?

Hello algarve_holidayer, after reading your thread I am so glad I am going to the Algarve this summer for our holiday, just looking a your thread has made my mouth water.

Dave