It was our first Christmas as cruisers, and it arrived rather unexpectedly. We’d been anchored for a couple of weeks on Picaroon, our Hardin Sea Wolf, at Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands. Without the traditional holiday cues — decorations, holiday parties and snow — we’d hardly noticed it was Christmas Eve when we were invited to join local cruisers for a potluck dinner the next day.

“Make figgy pudding!” insisted Philip, my British husband. Figgy pudding is a fond nickname for what we Americans call plum pudding, and I know of it only from English Christmas carols and holiday stories. I’d obliged and made it for several holidays running, but now lacked key ingredients on the boat. Then it struck me: Plum pudding is pretty much a denser, richer version of Caribbean black cake, also traditionally served at Christmas. With a recipe for neither, and no Internet access, I decided to improvise. And use lots of rum, just in case.

The final result was still warm when we dinghied over to Willie T’s bar for the cruisers’ Christmas potluck. It was such a hit, even the bar’s local staff asked for the recipe!

Caribbean Christmas Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup currants or dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup dried or fresh orange peel, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup dark rum
• 1/3 cup Madeira
• 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
• Confectioner’s sugar (optional)

Steps:

Chop half the raisins roughly. Combine all raisins, currants, orange peel, and water in saucepan. Simmer 20 minutes until water is absorbed; let cool. Sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder. In another bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and whip until light. Whisk in rum and wine (or substitute ⅔-cup water). Fold liquid mixture into dry mixture. Add fruit mix, nuts, and candied ginger. Fold all ingredients together. Pour batter into a greased metal or heatproof glass bowl that fits into a larger pot. Cover bowl tightly with foil. Place a strip of folded foil underneath/around bowl to serve as a handle and place in pot. Add enough water to pot to come about halfway up the bowl. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and steam for about two hours, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove bowl, cool, then invert onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioner’s sugar or glaze (add 3 tablespoons rum or water to 1 cup powdered sugar and pour over cooled cake). Serves 10.

Tip: Use a Pressure Cooker
by Lynda Morris Childress

If you have a pressure cooker aboard, use it for this dessert. (Place covered bowl on the cooker’s steamer plate with one cup water beneath. Bring to pressure. Steam for one hour.) For anything that requires extended cooking time, a pressure cooker such as the 8-quart Vitaquick by Fissler is an invaluable galley item. Pressure cooking cuts cooking time significantly no matter what’s in the pot, and the energy savings alone make them worth the price.

Do you have a favorite boat recipe? Send it to us for possible inclusion in Sailor & Galley. Tell us why it’s a favorite, and add a short description of your boat and where you cruise. Send it, along with high-resolution digital photos of you aboard your boat, to sailorandgalley@cruisingworld.com.

The post Caribbean Christmas Pudding appeared first on Cruising World.

Greek cuisine is adored worldwide for many reasons, primarily its creative use of fresh, seasonal ingredients to make diverse dishes. During summer and fall, the tomato reigns supreme in Greece; aboard Stressbuster, our Atlantic 70 cutter based in the Greek islands, I make good use of these luscious, ripe-red beauties whenever they’re in their prime.

The word yemista in Greek means “stuffed.” In this traditional summer-and-fall dish, large tomatoes are stuffed with different variations of rice-and-herb fillings. My own variation includes the addition of multicolored peppers for variety, sultanas for sweetness, pine nuts for crunch and texture, and parsley for fresh flavor. This is an ideal recipe for preparation onboard; aside from the tomatoes, peppers, and parsley, all other ingredients come from the ship’s dry stores; if you can’t find peppers, use tomatoes alone. While this is best made at anchor due to the long sautéing and stirring time, it can be made a day ahead or before departure for later consumption – some say this dish actually tastes better the next day. It’s cruiser-versatile – in hot summer months, it can be eaten cold or at room temperature; when the weather cools off in the fall, it can be reheated or eaten straight from the oven, piping hot. Aboard Stressbuster, this unusual, tasty dish tops the list of recipes most often requested by our charter guests. Kali orexi! (Good appetite!)

Greek Yemista (Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers)

Ingredients:

• 6 large, ripe tomatoes
• 1 each: yellow, orange, red, green bell pepper
• Salt, sugar
• Olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 cup round-grain rice
• 1 12-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 to 2 cups water
• Parsley (generous handful), minced
• 3/4 cup sultana raisins
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

• Wash tomatoes and peppers and slice off tops with a sharp knife. Set tops aside. Hollow out the tomatoes with a melon-baller or teaspoon and set pulp aside. Seed peppers. Add salt and a pinch of sugar to each hollowed-out vegetable.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan and sauté the onions till translucent.
• Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Add canned tomatoes and about 1/2 cup of water; stir.
• Salt and pepper to taste and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until rice is soft enough to chew, stirring very often and adding more water as needed. (Mixture should stay very moist.)
• When rice is ready, remove from heat and stir in parsley, raisins, and pine nuts. Fill the hollow tomatoes/peppers with the rice mixture, replace their lids, and arrange in an oiled baking dish. Give the whole lot a good swirl of olive oil and add about 1/2 cup water, along with the reserved tomato pulp.
• Bake at 375 degrees F until tomatoes and peppers are tender and skins begin to brown and/or blister, about 45 minutes to one hour, adding more water to pan bottom if necessary.

Serves six to eight.

The post Greek Yemista: Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers Recipe appeared first on Cruising World.

Pita Bread for Cooking on a Boat

My husband, Billy, and I were sailing the Exuma Islands chain of the Bahamas aboard Bonnie Christine, our Catalina 380, when I realized we were out of bread. We were far away from provisions. Then I remembered a recipe I’d clipped and saved from Cruising World ages ago, for pitas that could be made in a skillet (“A Peaceful Offering,” CW July 2000). This was years before we set off cruising ourselves. At the time I’d thought, “How exotic! I want to do that!” I’d saved the basic recipe, dreaming of the day when I too could bake bread while sailing far from civilization.

So as we sailed toward Lee Stocking Island, I pulled out the yellowed clipping and began to mix and knead the simple ingredients — but (like most boat cooks) I couldn’t resist adding some personal touches. This is my own version of that recipe. Not only did the pita feed us — that first recipe fed my cruising dreams for years before we actually set sail.

Editor’s Note: Before the recipes from People & Food were available online, this recipe was one of those most often requested. We think readers will appreciate Linda’s twist on this bread. Find this recipe and more old and new favorites online at cruisingworld.com/people/people-and-food.

Savory Skillet Pocket Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups flour (plus 1 cup for kneading)
2 tablespoons dried herbs (sage, thyme, oregano, basil)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
Sea salt, to taste

Steps:
Whisk together water, yeast, salt, sugar and oil. Let sit five minutes. Add 5 cups flour and mix with a wooden spoon until dough is very stiff. Tip dough onto floured work surface, lightly flour hands, and knead for five minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled, clean bowl, roll around to coat, and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours depending on air temperature). Tip dough onto floured surface. Shape into 12 fist-size balls. Place balls on a sheet of baking paper, cover, and let rise again for 20 minutes. Cut more baking paper into 10-inch squares. Roll balls into 1/8-inch-thick circles. Firmly pat on your choice of dried herbs, sesame seeds, and sea salt, and stack, separated by squares of baking paper. Heat a dry nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat, then reduce to medium-high. Don’t use oil or butter in pan. Dry-fry each pita until top begins to form air pockets and bottom begins to brown (5 to 30 seconds per side, depending on stove). Makes 12 6- to 8-inch pitas.

CAN BE PREPARED: UNDER WAY OR AT ANCHOR
PREP TIME: 3 TO 4 HOURS (DEPENDING ON RISING TIME)
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM

Tip: Pita-Making Tools
by Lynda Morris Childress

Whether you’re safely at anchor in a peaceful cove or under way on a calm day, making this bread will be easier if you have the following items. Do use a wooden spoon. Wood is strong, and won’t bend or break when stirring thick, elastic dough batter. Do use a nonstick spatula — it won’t scratch or damage nonstick cookware.

• One or two large mixing bowls
• A wire whisk
• A wooden spoon
• Baking paper
• 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet
• Heat-resistant plastic spatula

The post Savory Skillet Pocket Bread appeared first on Cruising World.

Chicken Enchiladas

Simplicity is the name of the game aboard Outrider, our Westsail 42. We live aboard and cruise in Mexico for eight months of the year. Mostly we enjoy the bountiful harvest the ocean provides, but there are times when we’re just not lucky enough to catch anything. Fortunately, fresh or frozen chicken is readily available in all the cities and bigger towns of Mexico, and usually is less expensive than beef or pork, so we always have a good supply of it onboard. Whenever we come away empty-handed from fishing, we head for the freezer and pull out a couple of chicken breasts to turn into an easy, tasty meal. Because we eat a fair amount of chicken, we experiment with different recipes to keep our meals fun and interesting. Some are a success, some aren’t! This one was a huge hit with both of us, and is our favorite of all the enchilada recipes we’ve come up with.

Recipe for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 8 8-inch flour tortillas
• 2 cups cheddar and/or Monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 4-ounce can green chilies, chopped (or more to taste)

Steps:

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Sauté chicken and onion in oil on medium-high heat until chicken is done. Let cool slightly, shred chicken, and divide chicken and onions evenly among the eight tortillas. Add 1/8 cup cheese to each tortilla. Roll the tortillas and place them seam side down in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Melt butter in a saucepan and gradually add flour to make a roux, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth a little at a time, still stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and thickened. Let it come to a boil, then immediately remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and green chilies, then pour sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Top enchiladas with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden and sauce bubbles at the edges. Serves four, or two with leftovers for the next day — this keeps well in the fridge. Note: If you use pre-cooked chicken in this recipe, just add the sautéed onions to the sauce when you add the chilies.

CAN BE PREPARED: AT ANCHOR
PREP TIME: 1 HOUR
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: MEDIUM

Tip: Roast Your Own Chilies
by Lynda Morris Childress

If you can’t find canned green chilies wherever you’re cruising, if fresh peppers are available, it’s easy to roast your own. Banana chilies (also called yellow wax peppers) are a good, mild pepper to roast for this recipe, but choose the pepper that suits your own palate. Important: If you use hot chili peppers, wear disposable latex gloves when handling them.

To roast peppers: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place whole peppers on an ungreased cookie sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until skins are charred on all sides and peppers are soft, turning frequently with tongs. Remove and place in a paper bag to steam until cool enough to handle.

When cooled slightly, gently peel off skins, remove stems, scrape out seeds, and discard. Slice and dice pepper for use in recipes or salads.

Ready for dessert? Click here to find recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth.

The post Creamy Chicken Enchiladas: Simple but Sublime appeared first on Cruising World.

Cruising quickly became a way of life for my husband, Paul, and our three children after we set sail from Marina del Rey, California, aboard Zephyrus, our Lapworth 36, with our larder fully stocked. We reprovisioned in Mexico, then sailed to the remote Marquesas Islands, a 21-day voyage.

There we immersed ourselves in the islands’ culinary delights. We feasted on fish, lobster, pig, fresh goat, coconuts, bananas, and fruits we’d never seen before. It was in the Marquesas that I developed the following recipe. It’s ideal for cruisers because it requires no eggs and can be made with reconstituted dry milk. Although most people will eat this as a dessert, aboard our boat it became a special cruising breakfast that nothing since has ever equaled!

Marquesan Banana Delight Recipe

Makes four to six servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk or reconstituted dry milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 large or 4 small bananas, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups white rice, cooked
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk

To make vanilla pudding, combine cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a saucepan off the heat. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly, until well blended. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is thick and begins boiling. Remove from heat. Quickly stir in vanilla and butter. Chill for 2 hours. To assemble: Cover the bottom of a medium serving bowl (or of individual dessert bowls) with vanilla pudding. Add a layer of bananas, then a layer of rice. Alternate layers. Finish with a layer of pudding. Whip coconut cream (see “How to Make Whipped Coconut Cream”) and top with a thick layer. Add sliced bananas or any fruit on hand. For an easier alternative: Use boxed vanilla pudding mix. Don’t whip coconut cream; drain as directed in sidebar, stir, and spread thick coconut cream over top.

How to Make Whipped Coconut Cream

Coconut cream is a wonderful alternative to traditional whipped cream. Making it’s easy. Here’s how:

• Place canned coconut milk in your fridge or on ice, upright, for at least 3 hours; overnight is better. This will separate the solid cream from the liquid.
• Open can; drain off all liquid. You want only the very firm coconut cream. (You can reserve liquid for another use.)
• Put only the firm coconut cream in a mixing bowl. Whip with electric or battery-operated hand mixer, or with an old-fashioned egg beater, for 5 minutes or until the coconut cream is the consistency of dairy whipped cream. Notes: This is delicious, but not as sweet as whipped cream. Add a bit of (optional) sugar or a dash or two of vanilla for extra flavor. If you add too much liquid coconut milk, the result will have the consistency of pre-made whipped dairy topping—but it still tastes good!

Can be Be Prepared: At Anchor
Prep Time: 3 Hours
Degree of Difficulty: Medium

Click here for more delicious dessert recipes to cook on a boat!

The post Marquesan Banana Delight Recipe: Dessert, Anytime! appeared first on Cruising World.

Our family called New Zealand home for two busy years while fitting out the interior of Elcie, our custom-built aluminum catamaran. We were ultimately preparing for a voyage home to the U.S. East Coast via the South Pacific and the Panama Canal.

One Sunday in early summer, we were invited to breakfast by some Kiwi friends. These ex-professional sailors had settled in lovely Nelson, at the top end of the South Island, after a transpacific voyage, and we enjoyed a relaxing meal while trading tales of past nautical adventures. They served hot crêpes, thin as parchment, which arrived steaming beneath a cloth napkin. An abundance of fillings were laid out before us, including our own contribution: fresh-picked berries. Each crêpe, whether savory or sweet, was delicious. We were hooked. By order of a decree from our two young daughters, Emma and Molly, the Sunday-morning breakfast menu aboard Elcie was forever set. On our 10,000-mile voyage home to Chesapeake Bay, we enjoyed crêpes nearly every Sunday morning. The fillings changed to match the season and our latitude. Now, this Sunday breakfast is an anchor in our busy cruising lives.

Ingredients:

Makes 6 servings

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted but not bubbling

Steps:

In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. In another, smaller bowl, beat together milk and eggs. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture. Blend until smooth. Stir in butter. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a wide nonstick pan until medium-hot. Wipe the bottom of the pan with a bit of butter on a paper towel. While tilting the pan toward you at a 45-degree angle, pour in a scant 1/3 cup of batter. Tilt the pan from side to side to finish covering the surface. Return pan to heat. Crêpe is ready to flip when the top looks dry and the edges are just beginning to curl. Use a spatula to flip; cook briefly on the other side. Set aside and cover until all crêpes are cooked. Makes ten or eleven 10-inch crêpes.

Fanciful Fillings
by Lynda Morris Childress

There are countless fillings for crêpes, both savory and sweet. Let your tastes, imagination, and the availability of ingredients be your guides. Here are some suggestions.

Savory: Try ham and cheese, shrimp or crab and cream sauce, bacon or sausage with cream cheese and chutney, and spinach and hollandaise sauce or cheese.

Sweet: Nutella and banana, grated coconut, or sliced peaches all make delicious fillings. Berries and whipped cream or yogurt with honey are delightful, too. Or try a Kiwi favorite: crushed pineapple, fresh lemon juice, and sugar.

Look for inspiration in your own fridge or galley locker to initiate your own onboard crêpes tradition.

Click here for more delicious treats to cook on a boat!

The post Create a Crêpe appeared first on Cruising World.

Salmon Cakes

After 11 days of thrashing through the Atlantic on Summer Love, our Montevideo 43, we spotted a cluster of clouds mustering over Saint Helena. This remote island, with an area of only 47 square miles, is easy to miss. There’s no breakwater, no harbor, and no crime. The residents, called “Saints,” are friendly folks with wide smiles and sun-kissed faces. Many come down to the landing quay to watch arrivals such as ours.

I washed my crusty face, combed my tangled mop, and still looked every bit as windswept as the island, but there was no time for fussing. My husband, Robb, was eager for a juicy steak and had already hailed the water taxi. It was fast approaching. We jumped aboard the little tug and headed for the quay. The landing here is precarious: A huge swell surges toward the dock, smacking it hard and sending water showering over the quay; then the water drops suddenly, taking the boat with it. As we rode the swell toward the dock, eyes fixed on the lines dangling from a metal bar, I planned my launch—a successful swing would be all about the timing. The boat rose above the quay, and just before it plunged, I grabbed a line and swung like Tarzan. I found my feet, barely, and veered off to embrace two surprised spectators, much to their delight, then staggered up the wharf.

My meander into Jamestown drew much attention. I walked like a confused crab, easily able to greet the Saints on both sides of the road. Eventually, Robb tugged at my arm and said, “That’s enough, now. Let’s find that steak!”

“I’m stopping at the first place we come to,” I said. “I’ve lost my land legs!” And with that, I stumbled up the steps of Anne’s Place. We sat down on the porch under a ceiling of scalloped flags and asked for the menu.

“You don’t need a menu, ma’am,” said the chef. “All we have are fish cakes.”

Robb glared at me. I glared right back.

“I can’t get up,” I said. “I can’t walk.”

The matter was settled. The steak would have to wait.

The fish cakes were delicious. Even Robb had to agree. Perhaps it helped that the cakes were made with tuna, the steak of the sea!

Next, we’d follow the sunsets and find beef in Brazil. As we slipped away quietly the next morning, I looked out at the rolling Atlantic and smiled. At least I knew my sea legs were ready!

There are many recipes for fish cakes on Saint Helena. Every Saint has his or her own. It’s true that I’m no Saint, but here’s mine, using salmon, which I find equally delicious.

Salmon Cakes Recipe
Ingredients:
14-ounce can pink salmon
2 medium potatoes, cooked, mashed
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, diced finely
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Zest of one lemon wedge
Black pepper, to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Caper Mayonnaise
Combine 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon capers (chopped), the juice of 1 lemon wedge, and 1 clove garlic (crushed).

Drain salmon and mix with mashed potatoes and beaten egg. Add onion, parsley, and lemon zest. Season with black pepper. If the mixture feels too sloppy or wet, add 1 tablespoon flour before making patties. Use remaining flour to coat hands, then form eight patties and dust with a bit more flour. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Fry patties in oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes each side, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with caper mayonnaise and lemon wedges.

Yields eight fish cakes.

Can Be Prepared: At Anchor
Prep Time: 60 Minutes Plus
Degree of Difficulty: Medium

Ready for dessert? Make it a meal with Bananas in Sweet Rum Sauce.

For more recipes to cook on a boat, click here.

The post Salmon Cakes: Sizzle Without Steak appeared first on Cruising World.

Mussels

Gatherer’s Reward
One of the most gratifying aspects of cruising is the independence that the lifestyle offers. Two of the most rewarding activities I pursue when the opportunity arises are fishing or skin diving in search of a meal. This may be because these efforts satisfy the hunter-gatherer instinct in me. Or perhaps I enjoy them because it allows my wife, Katie, me, and our young daughter, Hoku, to stretch our cruising kitty on Makana, our Admiral 38 catamaran. I wish I could boast that I always return from a diving expedition with dinner or that we always catch a fish while sailing. Then again, perhaps that’s why they call the pastime “fishing” and not “catching”! That said, if we’re cruising in an area with cooler water and a rocky coast, I can almost guarantee that I’ll catch dinner—or at least a tasty and fulfilling appetizer.

One of the tastiest treats that the ocean provides also happens to be one of the easiest to collect. While mussels are limited geographically to cooler waters, we’ve found them in both hemispheres: large green-lipped mollusks unique to New Zealand, night-sky black mussels from South Africa, and the blue-tinged variety found in our home waters of New England. All provide the main ingredient for a tantalizing treat that can be prepared in a variety of ways. Mussels can easily be found at low tide by searching between rocks and under seaweed just above the water line. Typically I can collect enough for a feast in less time than it takes to prepare them for dinner. Even if you anchor only in warm waters or if you’re a cruiser who does most of your “fishing” in grocery stores, you’ll often find mussels in the seafood section, and typically they’re the least expensive shellfish to boot.

Mussels are wonderful when they’re simply steamed plain or used as a base for pasta sauces. However, my wife and daughter prefer them cooked the following way. Even people who insist that they don’t like mussels will often change their minds once they smell the aromas from this dish.

Mussels Makana Recipe
24 mussels
1 cup water or white wine
4 ounces bacon or sausage, chopped finely
1/4 cup onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic or 1 shallot, chopped finely
Handful of black olives, chopped (optional)
Olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Black or white pepper, basil, oregano, and/or thyme, to taste

Steam cleaned mussels in a covered pot, using a small amount of water or white wine, until shells open. Remove mussels and set aside; discard any that don’t open. Reserve broth. Once mussels cool, split open and scoop out meat. Set aside. Reserve 12 of the largest half-shells and place the meat from two mussels into each half-shell. Place the shells face up in a shallow baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine bacon or sausage, onion, garlic or shallot, and olives, bind with a little olive oil, then spoon mixture onto each half-shell. Sprinkle with cheese and spices, then top with a few drops of olive oil. Bake at 400 F for 10 to 15 minutes; finish by broiling until cheese turns golden brown. Serve with fresh bread and the reserved broth as a dipping sauce. Serves two adults as an appetizer. Garnish with parsley and serve with sliced lemons, if available.

Can Be Prepared: At Anchor
Prep Time: 60 Minutes
Degree of Difficulty: Medium

For more recipes to cook on a boat, click here.

The post Mussels Makana appeared first on Cruising World.

The day started off all wrong. We were in the Isles of Shoals, a rocky scattering of islets in the Atlantic off the New Hampshire/Maine border, and we were hoping to make an extra-long day’s run to the south. But a steering problem on our 35-foot Dufour, Namani, scuttled those plans. Grumpy after an 0500 wake-up call that ended in three hours of troubleshooting, we sailed into Massachusetts waters and headed not for historic Plymouth but for the fishing port of Gloucester. The day got a little better when we managed to make good headway despite a contrary southerly wind. The day got a lot better when, 40 miles later, we entered Gloucester.

Rounding nun “6” as we approached the harbor, I waved absentmindedly to a passing excursion boat, then went below to hail the harbormaster on the V.H.F. A friendly voice directed me to a sturdy mooring in the inner harbor. Then a cheerful woman at the fuel dock stayed past closing time to accommodate us. As we filled our tanks, an unfamiliar man walked up to our boat. “Here you go,” he said, passing me several fish fillets. “Welcome to Gloucester!”

The stranger introduced himself as John, a crewmember on the excursion boat. He’d seen our German flag, and as a cruiser himself—he’d recently crossed the Pacific, and he was now saving up to continue his voyage—John knew what it was like to enter an unfamiliar port. The pink fillets were fresh cod, the catch of the day. Dumbstruck by his spontaneity and generosity, I could offer only inadequate-sounding thanks in return.

Gloucester is a hard-working, no-frills port. There must be something about such places that make the inhabitants so understanding of other sailors. Our day had begun with grudgingly scrapped plans for a long sail; it ended with happily altered plans for dinner. No spaghetti tonight! Instead, my husband, Markus Schweitzer, cooked a delicious meal using the fisherman’s gift and fresh, home-grown tomatoes given to us the previous night by sailors from Maine. We savored every bite, musing about how the meal was symbolic of the kindness that we often encounter as cruisers. We both vowed to show such generosity to strangers when they visit our home port.

Glorious Gloucester Cod

• 1 large tomato
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Dried basil, to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 small portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 3 pounds fresh cod, filleted and cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup rice, cooked

Dice tomato, salt lightly, sprinkle with basil, and set aside. Sauté onions and garlic in a little olive oil. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and lemon juice and sauté for 3 minutes. Remove from pan, set aside, and reserve. In the same pan, heat olive oil and butter on high heat. Add cod and fry on high heat until golden brown on one side. Turn and fry 1 minute more. Reduce heat, add the vegetables, soy sauce, salt and pepper, and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Serve over rice, and raise a toast to Gloucester hospitality! Serves three.

Can Be Prepared: At Anchor
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Degree of Difficulty: Medium

For more recipes to cook on a boat, click here.

The post A Warm New England Welcome: Glorious Gloucester Cod Recipe appeared first on Cruising World.