Cooking on Board

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What do you cook - do you go for the "open a tin and chuck it all in - eat it out of the pan with a spoon", or something somewhat more sophisticated?
I ask, as the saddest thing I heard this season was from a boat rafted up alongside in a marina in France, whose husband and wife crew informed us that they always brought all their grub with them - tins and packets - and the only thing they bought from the shops was bread and a bottle of wine?



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What on earth are they doing in France ? Because we're on holiday and we don't want to cook a lot we tend to eat the pre cooked "plat de jour" from the supermarket or from a market stall. All you've got to do is reheat it in the evening. Failing that French shops are bursting with goodies as can be seen from my wasteline. If I'm in Guernsey it's even easier. We eat M&S pre cooked meals.

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When I started cruising the guys I sailed with were just begining to suffer as wives discovered healthy eating and forced it on them. The result was a stop off on the way to the boat to buy contraband. Fray Bento's steak and kidney pies, Coco Pops, Custard Creams and the makings of a good English Breakfast were all bought on the QT.

Now days, "Peppermint" having just two burners and no fridge, we do egg and bacon rolls in the mornings, salad with pork pies or scotch eggs at lunch times and stir fries or stew and spuds in the evening. Plenty of biscuits, crisps, Mr Kiplings or bananas for snacking and Yorkshire Tea Bags for a brew.

I am a product of my teachers it would appear.


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Corned Beef hash and Bacon and egg sarnies are normal provisions on "Neraida", along with various alcoholic beverages. Thats about it... oh, and those foil packed saute things.....

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Anything from snacks to roast lamb in the oven depending on the occasion. Aperitifs typically Pineau de Charentes; and wine with the meal.

In France an apéritif is a great way to get to know people. Just hold a bottle up and they will soon be over with no expectation of a meal.

John

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Fresh local food always and on holiday the better stuff if possible so that dinners are special, always with a good wine. Lunches equally good, especially in France with pates and cheeses with salad. At anchor we use the BBQ (Magma S/S gas one) and do complete roast dinners, beef, lamb, duck complete with roast potatoes, roast carrots, shallots. We usually remember to take horseradish sauce and mint sauce with us in readiness. We do use the odd tin for such things as asparagus, artichoke hearts, or braised celery hearts to go with the filet de boeuf, foie de veau etc.

When we eat out that too is a special occasion so we go for good quality on the basis that if it is going to be pricey it should be better (or at least as good as) our on board meals or why bother.





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The main reason for going to France is to fill the boat with wine to bring home!!

The second is to eat out every night at a table on the pavement watching the world go by.

The cooker on board is for breakfast only in harbour and normal meals at sea.

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I wish to be associated with the post by ScillyPete.

Although we do have back up foods in case we get caught out by arriving late...

We used to find we lived off a pig, until SWMBO came along. Now its pig and beans...

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Totally agree! With the addition of, (because I live aboard in foriegn climes), the occasional bacon butty! Just to remember!! (Bacon ciabatta now) sliced bread is hard to find here.

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Bacon ciabatta sounds good to me, with a fried egg on top for perfection or for my SWMBO who hails from the other side of the pond, tomatoes & lettuce too (BLT). We take several large vacuum packs of bacon on our summer cruise, strangely we eat little of it the rest of the year, probably guilt.

Holiday cruises I think should be memorable in all respects for maximum enjoyment, I don't see the point of eating miserable tinned food or eating cheap ashore when you can hunt out some really good local ingredients. We might on occasion swap a lunchtime crepe or moules frites for the days cooked meal and go for a salad on board for dinner. Mind you you should see our salads, smoked salmon, duck pate, selection of cheeses, ham etc!



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The confines of the galley need not restrict the quality or quantity of a meal as Robin has explained . IMHO there is nothing finer than the early morning markets for very fresh local produce,Its part of the "experience" for me.
I do carry a couple of recipe books on board but do like to try the regional dishes, one tip i was given was to carry a pressure cooker (non spill) which i now find invaluable for soups and casseroles which can be eaten underway by serving in a large mug with fresh chunky bread.
So throw out your tin openers and buy fresh when you get there.
(you dont need it for corned beef hash anyway)"yum."
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Waking up in the morning....

smelling the bacon and eggs ...... get out the pan etc. etc.

Yep I don't eat it at home often - too fattening on my already spreading frame - but on the boat ........ one of life's luxury's. Then its all sorts from market, pubs, bistro's - call me the human disposal system ..... I eat literally anything !!!! Why restrict the boat to only eating OUT ?????????

My Russian lass LOVES Steak and Kidney Pie / Pud ..... even if we do a quick one from a Fray Bentos / Sainsbury's tin job ..... sitting there in the cockpit, even bought a folding camp table to sit out with ..... scoffing it with lashings of beer / wine whatever takes your fancy !!! I can taste it all now .....


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !
 
Re: Waking up in the morning....

Nigel,
Just the mention of snake and pigmy pie/pudding has me salivating! I love them, it's just getting them abroad is the problem, (I do carry an emeregency stock) but I've now learnt to make my own suet pastry, just need to find out what suet is in italian now! (I also carry dried suet, but running out)

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Curry and rice.

Rice keeps forever, ditto curry paste then just chuck in anything plus a can of tomatoes and a mate of mines trick of enough powdered mash to thicken the sauce!!

By the way is a crew of four getting through 200 tea bags in 6 days a record. Bought a box as part of provisioning on a delivery from Melbourne to Sydney then had to buy more at Eden the first town you come to after exiting Bass Strait. We even had coffee on board and drank that at breakfast time.

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If we're in harbour then the restaurants beckon, otherwise fresh loca produce. Strangely I enjoy the challenge of producing real food (roast chicken etc) underway.

OTOH, when we race it tends to be freeze dried after the fresh has run out, and all out of dog bowls - they are such a good shape, and often come with handholds. Last time I even found some with anti skid rubber feet. Squirting a little building foam around the underside improves heat retention markedly.

Oh - and night passages seem to be a carefully balanced nutritional balance between biscuits, cupasoup and mars bars - preferably not all at the same time!

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Re: Waking up in the morning....

To the promise of a little cauliflower - delicious

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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