Carapaus alimados

A culinary specialty hailing from the coast of Algarve, carapaus alimados is made by dry-salting fresh, gutted, and headed Atlantic horse mackerels with sea salt before boiling them in water and finally removing their entire skin and side bones. The term alimar refers to the skinning or scaling of the fish, which is how this dish earned its name. This traditional fish delicacy is typically finished with a generous drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar as well as some thin slices of onion, garlic, or fresh parsley on top. Carapaus alimados is usually paired with boiled potatoes and a fresh salada à montanheira, made with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, and oregano dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.