Another Place

Another Place is a massive installation on Crosby Beach - just a few miles NW of Liverpool - that consists of 100 cast-iron figures by Antony Gormley who is probably best known for his sculpture "Angel of the North". The ghostly life-size figures - moulded from the artists own body - are dotted along three kilometres of the Crosby shore: sparse in some areas and becoming more congregated as they reach the sea front, so onlookers can catch the detail of those near and the shadow of sculptures in the distance out to sea in one eyeful. It's certainly a spectacular sight - especially at low tide.

So what's this got to do with cooking on boats? In my twenties, I lived in a flat overlooking this beach and the Welsh mountains in the distance. Braving the northerly winds for walks on the beach, there wasn't much marine life in evidence at that time. Today, wandering amoung the iron men, I was delighted to see evidence of razor shells, also called razor clams. I first ate razor clams whilst sailing in Brittany and had never seen them on the menu in England until recently. Razor clams can be stir-fried, chargrilled or steamed like mussels: which ever way you cook them, they are delicious! If you're thinking of gathering some for yourself, wear a thick glove - like a gardening glove - as the shells really are razor sharp. Also, you need to be quick as they burrow down into the sand in an instant. Alternatively, you can dig for them. Best attempted at low tide on beaches washed by clean seas and where there is a thriving population - only take what you need.

I'm going to have a go at catching some in a few weeks when sailing in the West Country

Sir Robin Knox Johnson on the rocks!

On Tuesday, I was fortunate to have dinner with Sir Robin Knox Johnson [as one does :-)] and he told me the story of when he and Sir Chris Bonnington sailed in the Arctic some years ago. They had visited Reykjavik and had been presented with 2 cases of Finlandia vodka. This was duly stored in the locker behind the heads - safest place apparently. As you can imagine, there was no shortage of ice so when the two intrepid explorers fancied a shot or two of vodka, all they had to do was reach over the side and chip off a bit of ice from a passing iceberg to add to their glass. Apparently, the the ice was so cold that the vodka fizzed and gave off vapour. Also, the water frozen in the ice was probably in excess of 10,000 years old!

Vodka on the rocks will never be the same again!

Spring Series Racing - Week 3

Finally, a perfect afternoon on Sunday after racing was postponed on Saturday due to rough seas and imminent gales.



On Friday, we had "Ramsbottom Hotpot" - not the part of the lamb which is used in this recipe but the name of the town in Lancashire where I created this luxury variation of the traditional hotpot for a hearty meal when I lived there for a couple of years. Now adapted for cooking on a yacht, this uses leg of lamb instead of the more traditional neck of lamb. As the gales howled through the rigging in the shelter of Haslar Marina on Saturday night, we had Taglietelle Bolognaise to keep our spirits up. A trip to the Light Ship for a post-prandial libation also helped.

Following a full English breakfast on Sunday morning [no exploding ovens this time], we set off at best speed for the start line at Gilkicker only to find that the morning was a real drifter with no wind at all :-( After some spinnaker practice, for the first time this year, jackets and scarfs were abandoned and the crew stretched out to catch some rays while we waited for the wind to come our way. Finally the wind filled in and we had a great race with great sail trim, great spinnaker work and a great finish [i.e. not last :-)]

We grudgingly made our way back to base wishing there had been another race as we really had the bit between our teeth but we'll have to wait until the summer now for the next racing round the cans in the Solent.

PS No pictures of the Saturday squalls as they're not very photogenic.