There are several types of chili peppers called Piri-piri. Here’s a selection in a cork bowl.

A colleague who recently visited Lisbon complained that he wasn’t able to find any restaurant that offered that Portuguese speciality, Piri-piri. What he and many don’t realize is that the delightfully hot and spicy Piri-piri chili is really an Algarve specialty. So make the most of your visit to the region and eat lots of Piri-piri chicken, shrimp and other dishes because you won’t readily find them in other regions of the country.

Even though there are those in the Algarve who will swear that Piri-piri has ‘always’ been part of its culinary landscape, history is clear that the Portuguese discovered hot as well as sweet chillies when they began to explore the New World. And given just how busy Portuguese seafarers were in what we now call ‘The Age of Discovery’, they did a damned fine job of introducing chillies to the rest of the globe. Whether it was Africa or the Indian sub-continent, before the Portuguese brought them from the New World, the capsicum family was unknown. I haven’t been able to find any reliable source that can tell me whether Piri-piri chillies came directly into the Algarve or whether they came to the region via African colonies like Angola. But no matter, really. What’s important is that these hot and spicy little suckers are now readily available as bedding plants, as fresh & dried fruits and as a wide array of condiments, to say nothing of spicy dishes on local menus.

Perhaps the most readily available dish is Chicken Piri-piri that is on virtually every menu all across the Algarve. Basically, Chicken Piri-piri is a small fryer that is cut in half, slashed to the bone and marinated in a mixture of sea salt and spices for several hours and then grilled over hot coals. Traditionally it is cut into small pieces and served with potatoes and small side salad.

Lisa chooses from the many types of Piri-piri sauce on sale at a Loule market stall

The town of Guia (ghee-yuh), just west of Albufeira, claims its own style of Piri-piri chicken; the one that is served as described above. Other places are more inclined to serve a whole half chicken crisply grilled. These days French Fries are the ubiquitous side dish to accompany your spicy bird. If you’re travelling the EN125 you’ll know you’re in Guia because the main traffic circle contains large statues of white chickens. If you stood there and threw an egg in almost any direction you’d stand a good chance of whacking a Chicken Piri-piri restaurant!

I haven’t seen many offers of Piri-piri’d pork on local menus, but it is quite common to see shrimp spiced up with the spice.

Home made Piri-piri sauces, plus fresh chillies and dried herbs

Most supermarkets have a large selection of industrial types of Piri-piri sauce for sale. These bottles of hot sauce typically include Piri-piri peppers that have been marinated in vinegar with other spices which are then strained and packaged in long necked squirt bottles. You’ll be amazed at the range of flavours and hotness that is available. Buy a few and do a taste taste! At all of the local farmer’s markets you’ll also find strings of fresh & dried Piri-piri chillies for sale so that you can make up your own concoctions. And the local women make their own very basic Piri-piri sauce that is simply ground chillies in oil. I especially like to buy these, the brighter red they are the milder the flavour. The ones that are a rich, dark, chocolatey red have some real fire and just a drop will turn any dish into a small inferno. Also look for small bottles in the shape of amphora that contain Piri-piri spiced oil, usually with a chili pepper or two inside. Again, the darker the colour, the spicier the oil. I love to bring these home and use them as hostess gifts when I’m invited out to a dinner party.

Want to experiment making your own Piri-piri? Here’s the method I use that is based on Jean Anderson’s recipe for chicken but that can be used on many different kinds of meats & fish:

Crushed Piri-piri chillies or whole, marinated ones?

In a blender place 2 large garlic cloves, peeled, 1 large bay leaf broken into pieces, 2 tsp of sweet paprika, 1 tbsp sea salt, 1 broken up hot red chili (or more), 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil. Blend together until smooth. Rub onto meat and let marinate several hours then grill over hot coals. With shrimp & fish, about 30 min max of marinating.

However you choose to indulge in the succulent, spicy taste treat that is Piri-piri, I hope you do explore this wonderful dynamic of Algarvean cuisine. You can go mild or hot, whatever your taste buds hanker for. But no trip to the Algarve would be complete without at least one feast that includes Piri-piri! Seek it out at the local farmer’s markets, supermarkets or specialty gourmet shops. And remember your foodie friends back home. This makes a great gift, all the more so because it is a consumable. You don’t have to worry if someone already has one; if they do today they likely won’t for long!

Mountains of Sweet Spring Strawberries - Loule Market

I just got back from the Algarve. It’s always hard to leave but all the more this time because strawberries were coming into season. Mmmmm . . .at the Loulé market vendors were flogging mountains of these sweet, fragrant seasonal treats.  Is there anything more succulent than a locally grown, fully ripe strawberry? Here in the great white north it’ll still be 2 months before we even think of local berries and then we’re lucky if the season lasts a month. Those lucky Portuguese start early and seem to have a way of getting fresh berries for a very long time.

Strawberries & Oranges at the Roadside

We were especially blessed because not far from our apartment is a lovely lady who sells freshly grown produce at her garden gate. We loved to buy berries in small trays for a Euro. Just enough to munch on over 2 days . . .and then back for more.  Mind you, we also had to pick up some oranges and lemons for good measure.  There is something that satisfies the soul about getting regular supplies from a roadside vendor. Not only is the produce unbelievably fresh, but every day or two we could notice how much softer and more tasty the berries became as the warmth and sunshine of spring intensified.

And I must admit that part of the adventure of this particular spot is figuring out how/where you’re going to park the car for this short shopping trip. You’re on the busy main road into town, there is no official parking spot  . . . so I practiced parking like a local  . . . driving right up onto the curb and letting my little rental car hang out into traffic. Getting off the curb always seemed more challenging than getting up onto it. You just wait, one of these days I’ll drive like I was born here.

But back to our luscious berries. We cooked our own Easter dinner of pork, fresh broad beans, new potatoes and a roasted beet salad. It was tough narrowing down our choices in a land where so much great food is always on offer.

Sweet berries in meringues and creme fraiche

For dessert I marinated fresh strawberries and some other berry that looked like a blackberry (but wasn’t) in a splash of wine and sugar. I added some chopped fresh mint at the last moment and opened up one of the Algarve’s fluffy, crispy, intensely sweet meringues, slathered on some crême fraiche . . . and the angels sang!

Grilled Bream

Do they serve fish with the head on? This question is usually asked with a lilt of despair and trepidation by first time diners from North America contemplating which Algarve restaurant to visit. And the answer is “yes, most of the time”.

So what are we to do, faint of heart diners who are accustomed to our meat and fish coming to us in a format devoid of reminders that it was once a living being?  Well, take heart.  As in this picture, many of the fish are served sliced in two, then grilled, so their little faces are cleverly disguised and turned away from us. When they aren’t, as so often happens if we order sardines or mackerel it is easy enough to whack off the head and hide it under a piece of lettuce or slice of tomato or put it on a side plate hidden from view by the condiments.

But I encourage people to simply come to grips with the fact that some creature gave its life so that they can enjoy a delightful meal. Don’t hide from that. Celebrate the fact that you are eating whole food, food so fresh that it doesn’t need to be dismembered, food that is good enough to be offered to you in its entirety. Yummy.

You will certainly earn the respect of wait staff if you don’t quiver, quake and make a big scene when your plate arrives!

And if you can’t wrap your mind around any aspect of looking a fish in the eye, then perhaps you’ll enjoy a pork or chicken meal a little better!

Seafood & White Bean Stew

My friend Lisa jokes about how most Algarve restaurants have minimal ambience because the lighting is so bright. She swears this is because the owners want patrons to see how clean the place is.

So when eating out in the Algarve it’s important to realize that even in places where they use white linen and crystal, there’s a good chance that the candlelight will fade from the glare of overhead fluorescents.

Cleanliness is next to godliness, don’t you know?

Well that sentiment certainly seems to apply throughout the Algarve, and indeed throughout Portugal. I have probably eaten in more than 100 dining establishments in my various trips. There are only 2 or 3 that weren’t impeccably clean. Even if the back country you don’t have to worry about filthy washrooms or grungy dining rooms. Everything is spic and span.

In fact, when it comes to cleanliness, the entire Algarve region practically sparkles. There is very little trash on the streets and sidewalks, the countryside is remarkably free of litter and the beaches are amazingly clean. In many towns and villages you’ll see city workers with grey uniforms highlighted in electric, reflective yellow armed with brooms and dustpans sweeping up papers, leaves and doggie-doo. They are very diligent at their jobs.

So know that showing you how clean their restaurant is very important to Portuguese restaurant owners. This aspect of dining culture may not offer as many romantic meals as you may be accustomed to, but you’ll certainly be aware of just how impeccable the place is. And you’ll also enjoy the quality of the food cooked in an equally impeccable kitchen!

Decadent desserts always delight

The Algarve region of Portugal is chock-a-block full of dining opportunities. Whether your tastes run to a quick bite, some rustic fare or to an elegant dining extravaganza you are sure to find that your tastebuds will be delighted wherever you choose to eat out.  Many types of international cuisine are readily available and a quick search of the Internet will highlight all sorts of dining options for you.

At Algarve Dining we specialize in highlighting, reviewing and bringing focus to Algarve restaurants that specialize in Portuguese food, frequently in owner-operated and family run establishments. Many are humble to look at but all offer freshly made food and good service. We’ve personally eaten at all of the establishments highlighted and have received no compensation for the reviews you’ll find on this site or in Gwen’s Guide to Dining Well in the Algarve.

Read on and discover a wholesome, flavourful, dynamic cuisine that is little known to the rest of Europe and North America!