One of my first memories of Portugal was landing in Lisbon the early morning of Portugal Day and groggily stumbling around the staircases of Alfama, the pungent odour and smoke of grilled Fish lodging in my nose and clinging to the clothes I’d been wearing since departing Toronto the night before. My first meal in Portugal was grilled sardines, a tasty but messy affair with a procedure I have yet to master.

Forevermore, Grilled Fish is the scent I associate the most with Portugal — fish over coals the old-fashioned way, smelling up the neighbourhood.

In my current life, that smell is guaranteed to be had in the streets closest to the commercial fish market, Docapesca, in Matosinhos, where the fishing boats take their daily haul, which is then auctioned to fish traders and restaurants. Last year, the municipality repaved the road next to the market and restaurants along Rua Heróis de França have their outdoor seating enclosed and sheltered in glass. These were necessary changes because of traffic, but it takes some getting used to since the norm is to dine in the open air. The grills are also part of the enclosure, which means they can operate safely all-year round safely.

As you can see, though, we’re eating our chocos (cuttlefish) and dourada (sea bream) al fresco and not surrounded by glass. That’s because we’re on a side street where the restaurants have outside tables, and this one used to have a wooden shelter but we were surprised to find it gone since our last visit.

If you’re not a regular fish-eater, you might be wondering if someone can fillet the fish for you. Yes, if you ask nicely. I’ve seen waiters do it for visitors at my table who don’t want to deal with heads or tails or bones, but the default is for the fish to arrive whole, so be prepared to put in a request. It’s a cultural aspect of Portugal that I understand for these reasons (my hypotheses only):

• When a fish arrives whole, it can be identified (when you know what to look for, at least). Contrast this with the many reports of restaurants in North America that have been caught substituting advertised fish with that of a lower quality.
• The freshness of the fish can be judged even before it hits the grill, which is usually nearby. If you’re quick, you can even choose your own fish.
• Portuguese are unfazed by fish parts. If you’re going to eat a creature, you’d better know exactly what you’re eating, own up to it, and not waste anything.

Bom apetite!

May 6, 2018
Album: Portugal [Spring 2018]