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After Coala and AGEAS Cool Jazz, here comes a very different kind of festival. This time around, there are fewer guitars and amplifiers set up, but plenty more outdoor grills and roaring flames. Time Out is at Chefs on Fire, an event taking place on 19 and 20 September at Parque Marechal Carmona in Cascais. What sets it apart from other food events is its challenge to dozens of chefs: cook using exclusively fire and smoke.
If we had to compare this festival to a musical counterpart, the most obvious parallel would be Evil Live. While there are far fewer black t-shirts and a lot more playful shirts and colourful polos (your writer was sporting a black Beatles t-shirt—universal attire suitable for any occasion, especially for hiding stains from so many dishes), the animal carcasses displayed over the grills and the acrobatics over the flames make you think only one thing: “This is so metal.”
After eyeing several turbots hanging over the space run by Sea Me, we decided this was the best way to kick off our culinary journey. Hostilities commenced with turbot accompanied by a black garlic miso and pennyroyal torricado (garlic-rubbed toasted bread), prepared by chef Elísio Bernardes of Sea Me, sampled with "Eleanor Rigby" as the backdrop—even if the speakers weren’t quite set up for the stereo sound of the Liverpool lads, leaving the music sounding a bit incomplete (a topic for another time, as the focus now is the food).
Staying with fish but venturing into bolder territory, our next stop took us to try Lupita’s smoked eel pizza, a combination featuring red onion and green olives. We then strolled down to Santa Marta beach to try the tuna sandocha with lettuce and tomato by chef Zé Paulo Rocha (from O Velho Eurico), inspired by the beach sandwiches his mother used to pack for him. Unfortunately, pure greed got the better of us, and we forgot to take photos or record video for Instagram, but we promise it was worth every bite.
After these fresher fish options—well suited to the intense heat at Parque Marechal Carmona—it was time to tackle a proper meat dish. We were set on trying the offer from Lamina, but Chefs on Fire is vast and packed with temptations. Our eyes wandered over to Tiago Bonito’s station for Éon, where the board showed they were serving lamb kafta with chickpea hummus, fennel salad, and Greek yoghurt. We wasn't familiar with the dish (a type of meatball traditional to countries once part of the Ottoman Empire), so we got an education—highlighting one of the festival's great virtues: discovering delicacies around every corner that leave you a little richer.
We savoured this combination while Seu Jorge sang from the main stage about what life on Mars might be like, glad we made the stop before heading on to Lamina. Once there, we tried the kid goat with potato and ash created by chefs Vasco Coelho Santos and Inês Azevedo. Although the meat was slightly less tender than ideal for wooden cutlery, we were delighted to still find a piece of liver on the plate, which brought lunch to a satisfying close.
A festival beyond the food
After an extended break spent cooling off with Lillet cocktails and a few beers, we made our way back down to the beach area. It was time for oysters from Aquanostra—served with almond-and-rocket pesto as well as a tomato-and-bacon sauce—while taking in a surprise performance by Afonso Cabral. All around, children played in the sand, proving the event’s cross-generational appeal, while the chatter of friends and couples debating the dishes captured the very heart of the festival: creating and strengthening bonds around comforting food at the table.
Following a wander through the arts and crafts section—checking out the artwork on display, aprons, and chef’s knives—we grabbed a coffee and tried the Apple Mule cocktail. There was finally room in the stomach to resume tastings and build up to a memorable dinner, starting with ash-cooked Portuguese fish with aubergine and Rocha pear salad, signed off by Gil Fernandes of Fortaleza do Guincho.
With the grounds noticeably busier (the event was completely sold out), we braved the queue for Bon Bon, where chef José Lopes served pork collar with its own jus, greens, and cockles, as well as the bustling queue for chef Filipe Ramalho’s (Páteo Real) sandes da matança (traditional pork slaughter sandwich). We then paused to catch part of the concert by Agir and Paulo de Carvalho, who performed a set featuring Carlos do Carmo classics like “Lisboa Menina e Moça” and “Os Putos”, culminating in a rendition of “E Depois do Adeus”.
We continued our journey toward the asparagus and hazelnut tacos with green salad from chef João Saloio (Mãe), recommended by a fellow festivalgoer as their favourite dish of the day—and which we confirmed to be one of the day's best surprises. Taking advantage of a shorter queue at Broto, we tried the smoked amberjack with salmorejo, watermelon, and flame-charred greens prepared by Pedro Pena Bastos. Before the festival, the only lily (lírio) we knew was the flower, but now we’re well acquainted with the fish, which turned out to be one of the most successful creations of the entire event.
With tired bodies and (overly) full stomachs, we were ready to leave Parque Marechal Carmona. The plan was to grab an ice-cold Coca-Cola and exit the venue, but we were intercepted and challenged to one last tasting. Gluttony won out, and our next stop was chef João Rodrigues’s station (Canalha/Grupo Monda), where, amidst flames and smoke, we tried the sames de bacalhau (cod bladders) with chickpeas—a dish that instantly shot to the top of our favourites. Since there was still a sliver of appetite left, we sampled the paoliça from Arandu—a spin on pão com chouriço made with salpicão sausage and mayonnaise—wishing we’d tried it sooner. To finish on a sweet note, we sought out dessert and went for "A Batata" (The Potato), a sweet potato creation by Lara Figueiredo (MACAM) that proved an unusual yet highly successful blend of flavours.
Sparkling water in hand and with the walk back helping digestion, we left the grounds with the satisfaction of having discovered so many new recipes—and a suggestion for future editions: an official partnership with Rennie so we can try even more dishes.
Chefs on Fire continues this Sunday, 20 September, featuring culinary talents such as Nelson Soares, Tiago Penão, and Nathalie Inês.
See also: Everything you need to know about Chefs on Fire
Plus: The best things to do in Cascais in September
More news: keep up with the latest news from Cascais