Sunday 29 November 2009

Tarte Tatin














There are many variations on the classic tart tatin and here is one way of creating a tasty tart on board. Everything is prepared in one pan which should be suitable for putting in the oven. I use a 24cm non-stick frying pan with a metal handle for this.

Ingredients

For the tart
1 pack pre-made puff pastry (thaw if frozen)
Some plain flour for rolling out
6 large eating apples (Cox's are good) peeled, cored and cut into halves
10g unsalted butter
1 tbsp caster sugar

For the caramel

50ml water
100g caster sugar
25g unsalted butter

Method
* Heat the oven (190C / mark 5 at home, high on the boat)
* Dust a clean smooth chopping board with flour and roll out the pastry until it is about 2-3mm thick, and wide enough to cover your pan, using an unopened wine bottle if no rolling pin is on board
* cover the pastry with cling film and leave somewhere cool for about 30 mins

* To make the caramel, add the sugar and water to the frying pan and let the sugar absorb the water
* Put the frying pan on the hob, bring to a rolling boil then simmer until it turns golden brown
* Stir in the butter and take off the heat

* Arrange the apple halves cut side down in the pan and fill in the gaps with any left over wedges of apple, leaving as little space as possible
* Cut the butter into cubes and dot over the apples
* Place in the oven for 5 mins then take out and spread the melting butter over the apples with a flat knife then sprinkle over some caster sugar
* Return to the oven for another 30 mins or until the apples are partly cooked

* Take the pan out of the oven and place the pastry over the top of the apples
* With a knife, cut around the rim so that the pastry becomes round, then tuck the edges in at the side of the pan
* brush wih a little milk and return to the oven for about 30 mins or until the pastry is golden brown
* Once cooked, remove from oven and leave under the sprayhood until barely warm so that the caramel can set.














* To release the tart, use a knife and go round the side of the pan to release the pastry.
* Put a large dinner plate over the pan and turn upside down, holding the plate and pan together

* Slice and serve with double cream or creme fraiche

Serves 6-8 people
Suitable for in harbour or flat calm sea

Wednesday 25 November 2009

Cooking on board - the Clipper Round the World Race

If you think provisioning for a week's cruising and cooking at sea is tough, spare a thought for the galley on the yachts in the Clipper Round the World Race. Here are some food-related extracts from their blogs.

Dawn Evans on Sprit of Australia says

"Steal your pets eating bowl. All meals are consumed out of lovely green plastic dog bowls. Next time you prepare your favourite pets’ meal swap your lovely porcelain for their bowl. Try eating your first course then swill it out and have some pudding. Lovely."

"Visit your local supermarket, buy high quantity of chocolate bars, heat in oven, in wrapper, attempt to eat when cool. Chocolate snacks are in abundance aboard Spirit of Australia. How lovely you may think. A cup of tea and something sweet. However no matter how carefully and nicely packed penguin cake bars, fudge bars and Crunchies may be when it comes to eating them they have been reduced to a pile of sticky mush. We have taken to sucking chocolate out of wrappers - not a good look but one that needs practice."

Orla Mellett on Cork took charge of provisioning in Rio...

"A fresh fruit and veg run is the last run we do before we hit for sea and having learned from our experiences on Leg 1, we stocked up on loads of citrus fruits, melons, apples, cabbages, onions, garlic, carrots – anything that we think will go the distance. With the galley rammed full of all this fresh produce, the last couple of days have seen us enjoy fresh veggie soup (yes, that’s the rustic unblended homemade variety Mama!) and pineapple and melon desserts – Not too shabby, eh!"

"Cork’s crew are feeling extremely detoxed and healthy at the minute as a result. Long may it continue!"

"Regardless of how prepared you feel, you will inevitably forget something or fail to meet everyone’s expectations. Thankfully, we have a crew here on Cork that seem to eat pretty much anything that’s put in front of them, without a grumble (well, at least not in my ear shot!), which makes what could be a thankless and soul destroying job, one of the most rewarding on the boat."

Friday 13 November 2009

Award! The Alexander Catering Rose Bowl

howtocookonaboat.com has been awarded the Alexander Catering Rose Bowl for creating and publishing "Recipes from the Little Ship Club Galley". After being presented with this beautiful silver trophy by Commodore Rupert Wallace(Royal Navy), we only had the trophy in our grasp for a couple of hours during the prize-giving dinner at the Little Ship Club. Sadly, when dinner ended, we had to give it up to the trophy cabinet but Julie & Caroline will have their names engraved for posterity. And we get to keep a medallion as a souvenir.

It was a total surprise to us and we just hope that "Recipes from the Little Ship Club Galley" continues to sell well.

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Pimp My Beans














Baked beans are a store cupboard staple onboard but on their own can be a bit boring so why not try adding a couple of ingredients to jazz things up?

Ingredients

1 can baked beans
half a chorizo
2 good pinches of paprika (Spanish is best)
drop of oil (whatever is in the galley)
freshly ground black pepper
toast (optional)

Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan
2. Lightly fry the chorizo and add the paprika, stirring well
3. Sling in the beans and add a little black pepper
4. Serve on toast

Preparation time - 5 minutes
Serves 2

For more recipes click here

Saturday 9 May 2009

Hang on to your hats!

The crew of Cassiopeia - chartered from Fairview Sailing - had provisioned efficiently for our week’s cruise by ordering on-line and arranging delivery to the marina. Everything was still in the crates when we arrived which cut down the amount of ‘lifting and shifting’ dramatically with an added bonus of the crates fitting neatly into the storage space on our Bavaria 37 thus reducing the need to unpack everything.

Sunday night in Hamble kicked off with pitta bread and houmous starter followed by Greg’s chorizo casserole with pasta which was really simple to prepare and very tasty. Monday night found us moored in Royal Clarence Marina in Gosport, next to Dee Caffari’s Aviva, where Toby prepared a hybrid chilli con carne from kidney beans and haricot beans which was much appreciated after a fast sail down from Hamble.

Following a beat towards Cowes on Tuesday morning, which include a hi-line recovery exercise with Coastguard Rescue, we moored up in the Medina river for an excellent lunch of sausages in pitta bread accompanied by succulent cherry tomatoes and rocket in the cockpit. After a blustery afternoon's sailing, with winds gusting over 30 knots, we headed for shelter at Bucklers Hard in the Beaulieu River. Here, Neil prepared an onion salad starter, cooked us pork in disguise served with mashed potatoes and carrots and served up a cheesecake which set us up nicely for an after dinner walk along the river path to the Master Builder for a nightcap.

The forecast for Wednesday was still F6/7 so we abandoned our original plan to sail to Poole. Instead, we put 3 reefs in the main and sailed into Christchurch bay then onwards to the fairway buoy. Plans to have cornish pasties and beans for lunch were abandoned when the gas ran out and with rough seas giving 3-5m waves, we opted for a quick cheese sandwich instead. Returning to the Solent at about 8 knots, we headed for Yarmouth with the wind whistling through the rigging. Tonight, the galley had the night off and we eat ashore at Salty’s instead.

With the south-westerly wind still blowing a hooley, we stormed up the Solent to Wooton Creek then dropped the anchor in the shelter of Osbourne bay for lunch of cornish pasties and beans – this time cooked with a full gas canister. After practicing anchoring and MOB under sail, we headed for the relative calm of East Cowes marina and Neil’s sweet and sour chicken with rice. Neil had used a whole chicken which he jointed. The extra chicken pieces where cooked in the oven, with a special marinade of tomato ketchup and brown sauce, to have as a midnight feast when we returned from night sailing practice later on.

During the week, we eat mainly cereal and toast (courtesy of the electric toaster when on shore power) for breakfast varied with bacon butties one day and a full English breakfast on the last morning. Lunches were simple sandwiches or heated sausage rolls / pasties supplemented by a cup-of-soup - ideal for sailing in strong winds and moderate to rough seas.

PS no hats were lost overboard!

Photos by Toby Denham

Monday 30 March 2009

B&B on the water

Out on the water for the first time this year on B&B - not a bed & breakfast but a Dehler 36SQ. Our skipper and host provisioned for a chilly sail which turned out to be quite sunny. To keep us warm inside, Brian prepared Heinz Chunky Vegetable "Big Soup" and sausage rolls for lunch. Very warming and filling and faster to prepare than sandwiches! Then for dinner, he prepared the yotties favourite - spaghetti bolognaise but with portobello mushrooms for extra taste. No wonder my sailing clothes are feeling snug.