Titbits that Taste of the Ocean

As a centre for fishing, the Algarve is extraordinarily accomplished in the art of cooking shellfish, which arrive fresh every morning; creating tiny morsels to die for – a favourite treat among locals and visitors to the region alike.

Whether it is clams, oysters, donax clams, cockles or razor clams, shellfish is king:  cooked on a griddle, in a frying-pan or in the bottom of a deep pan. Periwinkles and barnacles are usually eaten plain among friends in between conversation and glasses of chilled wine.

Shrimp soup, whelk and white bean stew, the typical xerém - donax clams with corn meal, smoked meats and chorizo, razor-clam rice and açorda de marisco - shellfish mixture with mashed bread, garlic, coriander and egg are other mouth-watering examples. The extremely popular and famous recipe for cataplana clams is one of the most highly prized traditional dishes in the Algarve, its secret being the use of the cataplana, a deep clam-shaped copper pan of Arabic origin, which seals in the flavour of the ingredients during the cooking process. 

Shellfish enough to feed the senses and satisfy the appetite are caught each day by fishermen, who have mastered the art of catching shellfish and who continue to play an important role in Algarve’s traditional cuisine with these delicious ‘fruits of the sea.’  We are certain that visitors will be glad they do.