Cooking on board: 21 recipes that taste good and fill you up on board

If a crew wants to keep their spirits up at sea, regular meals are a must on the forecastle. That means cooking on board. The most important thing is that the meals should taste good.

However, finesse is often not advisable when cooking on board under the conditions at sea; hearty seafood is more suitable. But variety is also important for a good atmosphere on board, as cooking is not always done at sea. Many things can be prepared or pre-cooked before the voyage, or the cooker can be fired up in the next harbour or at anchor.

We have put together a selection of recipes for cooking on board for all these eventualities.

Reading tip:

• Provisions plan and stowage tips for your holiday cruise

Tips for safe cooking

more tips at the end of the article...

Recipes for cooking on board: hearty seafood

Green curry vegetable noodles

Ingredients for two people:

• 1 bunch spring onions spring onions
• 100 g sugar snap peas
• ½ Broccoli
• 80 g pointed cabbage
• 30 g ginger
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1.5 tsp green curry paste
• 400 g coconut milk
• 150 g instant Mie noodles
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Salt, pepper

The dish is simple, quick to prepare and can easily be varied with additional ingredients. Wash the spring onions and mangetout and cut into thin rings or quarters. Wash the broccoli and divide into florets, cutting them in half so that they cook quickly enough. Peel the stalk and cut into slices. Wash the pointed cabbage and slice finely. Peel and dice the ginger. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the ginger lightly. Add the light-coloured parts of the onions, the peppers, the broccoli and the cabbage and stir-fry over a high heat for about three minutes. Now add the curry paste to the vegetables and fry, deglaze with the coconut milk and pour in another 100 millilitres of water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer again for three minutes. Mash the mie noodles a little and add to the pan. Leave to simmer uncovered for about four minutes, stirring frequently and adding a little more water if the mixture seems too dry. Season the one-pot pasta with soya sauce, salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Medallions with vegetables

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 6 pork medallions
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 leek
• 200 g mung bean sprouts
• 1 small tin of bamboo
• 2 tsp 5-spice powder Oil, soy sauce

Heat the oil in a pan, then sear the medallions on both sides for one to two minutes. Now fry for a further six to seven minutes over a lower heat, turning once in between. Season the meat with salt, pepper and the sesame seeds. In the meantime, wash and clean the leeks and cut into fine rings. Rinse the mung bean sprouts in a sieve and drain the bamboo shoots in the sieve. Remove the medallions from the pan and leave to cook for a few minutes. Add the leek to the pan and sauté for two minutes, stirring. Now add the mung beans and bamboo shoots and stir everything together quickly. Then flavour the dish with the 5-ingredient seasoning (can be ordered online) and the soy sauce and simmer for a few more minutes. Serve with the medallions. Rice is recommended as a side dish (e.g. Basmati express rice to speed things up here too), but gnocchi or ribbon noodles from the chiller cabinet are also suitable side dishes - and the cooking time is reduced.

Summer bolognese

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 1 garlic clove
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g minced beef
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• ½ organic lemon
• 50 g parmesan
• 400 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch basil

Preparation: Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash the thyme, shake dry and remove the leaves from the stalks. Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the mince in it for about five minutes, turning until crumbly. Stir in the garlic, thyme and tomato purée and fry for one to two minutes. Season the mince mixture with chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Stir in 175 ml water and simmer over a medium heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost evaporated.

In the meantime, wash and dry the lemon and finely grate the zest. Squeeze out two tablespoons of lemon juice. Alternatively, use white wine. Grate the parmesan. Wash the tomatoes, pat dry and cut in half. Wash the basil, shake dry and pluck the leaves from the stalks. Stir the lemon juice and zest into the mince mixture and season well with salt and pepper. Fold the mince mixture, tomatoes and basil into the freshly cooked pasta (e.g. tagliatelle or penne). Arrange the pasta on plates and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Fish with mustard sauce & fried potatoes

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 4 fish fillets
• 250 ml hollandaise sauce
• Mustard
• 1 kg potatoes
• 2 onions,
• 50 g bacon
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter
• Firmly cooked fish fillet (cod, cod, saithe, redfish)

Preparation of fried potatoes: Dry the cooked potato slices on kitchen paper until al dente. Fry the bacon and onions in clarified butter until golden brown. Fry the potatoes in clarified butter until brown, add the bacon and onions and toss in the pan. Flavour with salt and pepper.

Preparation of fish: Season the fish fillet with salt and pepper, lightly flour and fry in oil until brown. Heat the finished hollandaise (do not boil). Whisk in the mustard to taste and reheat.

Vegetable pan with smoked turkey

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 500 g smoked turkey breast
• 1 kg mixed frozen vegetables
• 2 onions
• 2 cups of milk
• Salt
• Pepper
• Butter

Preparation: Dice the onions and fry in butter or oil. Briefly cook the mixed vegetables in milk, stirring constantly. Cut the turkey into strips or cubes and fold into the vegetables. Add a little butter and season to taste.

Potato salad with homemade mayonnaise

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 kg potatoes
• 100 g diced bacon or ham cubes
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 6 gherkins
• 2 onions
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 5 tbsp oil
• Cucumber water

Preparation of salad: Peel the potatoes, cut into thin slices and boil for 4-5 minutes until al dente. Fry the onion and bacon in the oil and deglaze with the cucumber water. Season the potato slices and carefully mix everything together. Finally, finely dice the hard-boiled eggs and gherkins and mix in.

Preparation of mayonnaise: If the salad is still being prepared on land, an electric hand blender can be used. It's really quick and has the advantage that the salad then has enough time to infuse. Put an egg, some mustard and a squeeze of lemon in the blender jug, add the blender jug and vegetable oil until the consistency is right. The mayonnaise is then simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

Sliced meat with herb gnocchi

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 300 g sliced beef
• 3 small gherkins
• 1 tsp flour
• 150 g sour cream
• 400 g gnocchi
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 250 ml stock
• 1 tsp mustard
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper Sugar

Preparation: Apart from the standard ingredients, there are only five things to get for this dish and it is quick to cook. The good thing is that this recipe works not only with beef but also with other types of meat and variations in the sauce ingredients.

1 Wash and dry the meat, dice. Cut the gherkins into thin slices.

2 Heat the oil in a pan. It doesn't necessarily have to be sunflower oil, any other oil will do. Now fry the chopped meat very hot. Then season with salt and pepper and dust with a little flour. Add the stock (alternatively: white wine) and deglaze everything with it; mix the mustard and sour cream thoroughly and pour in. Bring to the boil briefly, then simmer for a little while with the lid half open. After about five minutes, the flour flavour will disappear and the sauce will be creamy. The meat will also cook during this time.

3. fry the gnocchi in a pan or pot in olive oil until they turn a golden brown colour, season with thyme. Then add the cucumber slices to the meat, season with salt, pepper and sugar and bring to the boil again. The sauce can be spiced up with Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce or sambal oelek. Any salad and a good wine go well with this dish.

Baked banana on rice with curry sauce

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 4 bananas
• 2 eggs
• 8 tbsp sliced almonds
• 400 g rice
• 4 onions
• 8 tbsp curry powder
• 8 tbsp flour
• Cocktail fruit
• Chicken stock or milk
• Salt
• Pepper
• Piri-Piri

Preparation: Fry the diced onions in butter in a pan until translucent. Sauté the curry briefly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add the flour and milk until the desired consistency is achieved. Flavour with salt, pepper, sugar and piri-piri. Peel the banana, cut lengthways and coat with egg and sliced almonds. Fry briefly in butter until golden brown (also works without egg and almonds).

Tips for barbecuing

Grill and barbecue:

• Coal must be completely glowed through
• Turn meat with tongs instead of a fork
• Never extinguish with beer

Determine cooking levels:

Press lightly on the steak with your index finger, the resistance of the meat reveals the cooking point if you compare it with :

• Chin = English/Rare
• Nose = Medium
• Forehead = Well done

The resistance that these parts of the head offer to the finger is more or less identical to the resistance offered by the meat at different stages of cooking.

Recipes for cooking on board: salads that fill you up

Chickpea salad with tomatoes, spinach and black cumin

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• Salt
• Pepper
• 5 tbsp warm vegetable stock
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tin of chickpeas (400 g)
• 150 g cherry tomatoes
• 100 g baby spinach
• 3 stalks of flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp black cumin

PreparationMix the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and stock. Peel and crush the garlic. Season with sugar and stir in the oil in a thin stream using a whisk. Drain the chickpeas. Wash and halve the tomatoes. Clean, wash and dry the spinach. Wash and dry the parsley and chop the leaves. Mix the vinaigrette and all the salad ingredients together loosely and season with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with black cumin.

Crab salad with egg and cucumber

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 small organic cucumber
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• A few drops of vinegar
• 3 tbsp warm vegetable stock
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sugar
• 2 stalks dill
• 150 g prawns (peeled)

Preparation: Boil the eggs for approx. 8 minutes. Wash, dry and halve the cucumber lengthways. Scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the halves into slices. Drain the eggs, rinse with cold water and peel. Mix the sour cream, vinegar, stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Wash, dry, pluck and chop the dill. Mix all the salad ingredients together loosely and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the eggs in half and place on top of the salad.

Pasta salad with mortadella, basil and artichokes

• 150 g short pasta (e.g. penne)
• Salt
• 6 pickled artichoke hearts (in oil)
• 1 mini romaine lettuce
• 3 stalks basil
• 3 slices of Italian mortadella (thinly sliced)
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• Pepper
• 5 tbsp warm vegetable stock
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Preparation: Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to drain. Drain the artichoke hearts and cut into smaller pieces. Clean, wash and dry the lettuce and tear into pieces. Pluck the basil leaves. Roll up the mortadella slices and cut into pieces. Mix together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, stock and sugar. Peel the garlic and press into the vinegar mixture. Stir in the oil in a thin stream with a whisk. Loosely mix the vinaigrette and salad ingredients and season with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Yellow lentils with smoked pork

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 2 floury potatoes
• 300 g. Kassler in one piece
• 100 g. yellow lentils
• 1 medium-sized carrot
• 1 leek stalk
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Preparation: The dish is quick to prepare (approx. 40 minutes), delicious, lasts a long time and there's hardly any washing up to boot. Perfect on board. It comes from the "5 ingredients" cookery book. What makes it special: In addition to the basics, which are usually to hand anyway, you only ever need five ingredients to cook a complete, delicious dish.

1 Wash the yellow lentils and drain well. Peel, wash and chop the potatoes. Clean and wash the leek, then cut into small rings. Also clean and peel the carrot and cut into thin slices.

2 Peel and roughly dice the onion. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the diced onion until translucent. Then add the prepared ingredients, thyme, bay leaf and smoked pork loin to the pan and deglaze with 800 millilitres of hot water. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes. Skim from time to time.

3. remove the smoked pork from the pan, cut the meat from the bones, then dice. Finely puree the lentils and vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork without using a hand blender. Add the meat to the lentils.

Recipes for cooking on board: dishes for a flame

Curry coconut chicken with sweet potato

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 300 g chicken breast fillet
• 2 tbsp almond kernels (with skin)
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• Salt
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tin of coconut milk (400 g; unsweetened)
• 125 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 stalks of coriander or parsley

Preparation: Peel the sweet potato and cut into small cubes. Wash and dry the chicken and cut into approx. 1.5 cm cubes. Roughly chop the almond kernels and toast in a pan with high sides or a wide pan without fat until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the pan. Heat the oil in the hot pan and fry the chicken in it. Season with salt. Add the sweet potato cubes and fry briefly. Season everything with curry powder. Deglaze with coconut milk and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for approx. 10 minutes. Season with soya sauce. Pluck the coriander (or parsley) leaves. Serve the curried coconut chicken with the almonds and coriander.

Ham macaroni with spring onions

Ingredients:

• 200 g short macaroni (cooking time 7 minutes); alternatively: other short, thick pasta with a cooking time of 7 minutes
• 150 ml whipped cream
• Salt
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 150 g cooked ham (in a thicker slice)
• Pepper
• A few drops of white wine vinegar
• 35 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation: Place the pasta in a large pan with high sides or a wide pan. Add the cream, 500 ml water and 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook the pasta uncovered for approx. 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, clean and wash the spring onions and cut into diagonal slices. Finely dice the ham. Add the spring onions and ham and stir in. Cook uncovered for a further 3 to 5 minutes. Season the pasta with salt, pepper and a few drops of vinegar and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Green pea soup with mint and smoked salmon

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 300 g green peas (frozen)
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 150 g whipped cream
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• 3 stalks of mint
• 2 slices of smoked salmon
• 2 rye rolls

Preparation: Peel and dice the onion. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the diced onion. Add the peas and deglaze with the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for approx. 5 minutes. Finely puree the soup, add 100 g whipping cream and heat through. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Wash and dry the mint and pick off the leaves. Finely chop half of the mint and stir into the soup. Cut the salmon into strips. Serve the soup with the remaining cream, mint and smoked salmon strips. Serve with the rye bread rolls.

Recipes for cooking on board: Seafood

Hake with tomato salad and roasted peppers

Ingredients:

• 800 g hake
• 500 g ripe tomatoes
• 500 g green roasting peppers
• Olive oil
• Brandy vinegar
• Sea salt flakes
• Piment d'Espelette (or mild chilli powder)
• 1 tsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 lemon
• Bread

Preparation: Gut and clean the hake, cut into steak slices and marinate in a little lemon juice and olive oil. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a large plate with olive oil, a dash of brandy vinegar and salt flakes. Sauté the peppers in plenty of oil over a medium heat until they start to shrink a little and the skin starts to blister. Finally, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, toss again and remove the pan from the heat.

Finally, sear the steaks over a high heat for approx. two to three minutes on each side. After turning, sprinkle with sea salt, parsley and piment d'Espelette and serve immediately.

At the end, don't forget to drizzle the flavoured olive oil with bread from the plates.

Tip: You can also replace the hake with meaty fish such as tuna, bonito or swordfish.

Seafood pasta

Ingredients for two people:

• 300 g seafood
• 200 g pasta with short cooking time
• 1 handful of baby spinach
• 3 stalks of dill
• 1 small tin of crustacean paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil Salt Pepper

This cookery book is ideal for preparation on the boat. The recipes are easy to cook and are divided into working times of 20 to 60 minutes. Meat and fish lovers will be just as satisfied as people who like vegetarian and vegan options. There is something for everyone: low-carb, mild, spicy, Mexican, exotic - and even sweet dishes.

Preparation: 1. heat the olive oil in a pan, then defrost the frozen seafood over a high heat for about four minutes, stirring and frying lightly (or use fresh seafood). Remove from the pan and set aside. Add about 600 millilitres of water and a little salt to the pan and bring to the boil over a high heat.

2 Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally at the beginning and constantly towards the end. In the meantime, wash, dry and chop the dill and wash the spinach. When the pasta is almost ready, add the seafood, spinach, dill and crustacean paste. Cook for one to two minutes over a medium heat, stirring constantly. If the fish mixture seems too dry and starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a spoonful of water. Then season the dish with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Crab cakes with dip

Ingredients:

• 450 g crustacean meat (e.g. langoustine, spider crab, crab or prawn)
• 200 g white fish (e.g. cod, saithe or hake)
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 200 g breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp mustard
• Pepper, salt
• 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 4 tsp vegetable oil

Preparation: For the dip, mix the egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest in a blender. Add the oil, stirring constantly, flavour with lemon and salt and set aside. Sauté the spring onions and celery with a little butter in a pan and then leave to cool in a bowl. Then add the fish and finely chop everything. Add the crab meat, egg, parsley, mustard and half of the breadcrumbs to the bowl. Finally, mix everything well and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Shape the finished mixture into meatballs and cover with the remaining breadcrumbs. Heat a little oil and butter in a pan and fry the crab cakes over a medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

Tip: You don't want the smell of fat and fish in your cabin. For fried or deep-fried food in oil, it is advisable to cook on deck or, even better, on the pier.

Summer herring salad

Ingredients:

• 4 smoked herrings or matjes double fillets
• 1 spring onion
• 4 gherkins
• 1 Apple
• 2 radishes
• 1 lemon
• Pepper

Preparation: Cut all the ingredients into small cubes, mix and flavour with pepper and lemon juice. Leave to stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

TipServe with brown bread as a snack between meals or serve the salad with roast potatoes as a main course.

Bonito tartare

Ingredients:

• 400 g bonito fillet
• 1 spring onion
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• Juice of half a lime
• Chilli flakes
• Pepper, salt

Preparation: Cut the bonito fillet, spring onion and celery into small pieces. Mix in a bowl with the remaining ingredients, season with chilli flakes to taste and season with salt and pepper.

Tip 1: Many types of fish can be eaten raw if they are completely fresh. Bonito is particularly delicious. Freshly caught, the red-fleshed fish is hardly any different from the much more expensive tuna.

Tip 2: The dish can be varied very well, for example as a Mediterranean version with olive oil and lemon instead of sesame oil, soya sauce and lime. Or you can use other types of fish such as sea bream, salmon or sea bass.

You should pay attention to these aspects when cooking on board:

1. Workplace: How seaworthy is the galley anyway? Does the cooker really swing freely, are the fire extinguisher and fire blanket within easy reach, can the smut support himself well or lean into a lap belt, are there anti-slip mats on the edge of the work surfaces? Always use pot holders or clamps to secure pots and pans on the cooker. For free-standing cookers such as camping cookers: Make sure that the cooker is properly installed and secured to prevent it from tipping over in rough seas, but also in the event of sudden waves at anchor.
2. Stowage: On a yacht, storage space is limited. Plan your meals in advance and organise your storage space carefully to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment you need to hand, such as pots and kitchen tools, but should also have a bin, towel and the most important ingredients and spices.
3. Preparation: The work surfaces can be covered with damp cloths to prevent plates and pots from slipping, and liquid ingredients that are needed later can be safely stored in one of the double sinks.
4. Energy consumption: The power supply on a yacht is limited unless shore power is available for electric hobs. Try to cook energy-efficiently, be it with gas, spirit or electric cookers.
5. Fresh ingredients: Plan your meals so that you use the most perishable ingredients first. Tinned, dried or freeze-dried foods are good options for longer journeys.
6. Rubbish: Remember that you must dispose of all waste produced during cooking properly. On a yacht, it is important to minimise waste and ensure that nothing ends up in the sea.
7. Sea state: In rough seas, cooking can be a challenge or even dangerous. Simple, quickly prepared meals are then often the best choice. Or the food can be cooked before the trip and kept warm in thermal containers so that nobody has to use the cooker at sea.
8. Drinking water: Water is a valuable resource, especially on a yacht with its limited tank capacity. Use it sparingly when cooking and cleaning cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery.

More about cooking on board:

• Instead of gas: convenience from the socket - electric cooking on board
• Accessories: Gas barbecues in the test - barbecuing without coal
• Guide: Cooling food in the heat without on-board power - 12 tips

Recommended cookery books:

• Cooking according to Beaufort
• 5 ingredients: Recipes for cooking on board
• The REISEMOBIL cookbook
• Captain's Dinner - A maritime voyage of discovery with original sailor's recipes
• Sea air makes you hungry: on-board cookery book with dishes and stories
• On-board supply today: Food and provisions on board cruising yachts