Courgette Salad/Salada de Corgetes

Courgettes are a relatively recent addition to the Portuguese pantry . This salad turns this rather bland vegetable into a flavourful dish with with the help of a bbq, good quality olive oil, garlic and parsley. This is a great salad to accompany grilled meat or fish and can be served hot or cold.

Courgette Salad

Aubergine Pâté/Patê de Beringela

This is a simple and delicious pâté which is handy to make while you’re waiting for the bbq to get to the right temperature for grilling meat or fish. It’s relatively low maintenance and is a great addition to the summer table as a dip for bread or raw vegetables. The recipe can also be made in a hot oven but make sure you pierce the aubergine skin with a fork so they won’t burst.

Aubergine Pâté

Grilled Pepper Salad/Salada de Pimento

A pepper salad made out of chargrilled green peppers is the traditional accompaniment to grilled sardines in Portugal. This is a simple version with a potentially relevant trick – wrap the peppers in cling film for 5-10 minutes after grilling to make pealing easier.

Charcoal-grilled Peppers