Cooking on a sailing Yacht – Tips to ensure a varied menu
Cooking on a sailing Yacht Tips to ensure a varied menu
Cooking on Yacht Charters, Sailing holidays, Races and longer delivery routes can be challenging. With a basic oven, limited space and a heeling boat cooking interesting meals for groups of people pose a problem.
The aim of this article is to share some of the tips I have picked up over the past few years. I believe quality food and variety is important.
Preparation:Making and preparing as much as you can before you set sail. Even in you only have a small fridge on-board, frozen food stays frozen in a boat's fridge for up to a week (just do not forget to get that day's dinner out in the morning or it'll be iced lasagne for everyone.)
Creativity:Limited space does not mean limited cooking.From BBQs, to roasts and sushi rolls. Most meals are possible. Just think ahead and plan your menu bearing in mind your sailing route and likely weather conditions
Pre-cook breakfasts: Cook sausages and bacon before leaving the marina so you just need to heat them up the next morning. There is nothing better at 4am than a sausage sandwich.Plus try making some Breakfast Muffins before you leave home for something different
Use foil dishes:Make individual meals in small foil dishes writing the name of the meal on the lid then freeze them. People can choose the meal they want each eveningand you can heat them ready for the start of a night watch. Much better than having to heat a lukewarm pan of stew the last watch half ate 2 hours ago.This is very handy for off shore racing
Make flasks of hot drinks and keep them in the galley: When you boil the kettle make some tea or coffee, boil more water than you need. Use the excess to fill thermos flasks so, the crew on watch, can just pop down and grab a drink without needing to disturb people that are sleeping.
For me and Tangaroa Yacht Charters the quality and variety of food is essential onboard.
We'll keep you posted with our next tips for cooking on a boat from the Med - including some recipe recommendations. To find out where we'll be cooking visit http://www.tangaroayachtcharters.com/