Cooking on board: 32 recipes that are delicious and filling

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

However, given the conditions at sea, it’s often not advisable to get too fancy when cooking on board; hearty sailor’s fare is more suitable. But variety is also important for keeping spirits high on board; after all, you don’t always cook at sea. Much can be prepared or pre-cooked before the trip, or the hob can be switched on only once you’re in the next port or at anchor.

To cater for all these eventualities, we have put together a selection of recipes for cooking on board.

Recommended reading:

• Provisioning plan and packing tips for your sailing holiday

Tips for safe cooking

more tips at the end of the article...

Recipes for cooking on board: Hearty sailor’s fare

Minced meat stir-fry with harissa and peppers

Ingredients

• 2 peppers
• 300 g minced beef
• 1 tsp harissa (tube)
• 250 g yoghurt
• 50 g taco crisps
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of ground caraway
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt

There are many variations of minced meat and vegetable stir-fries, but what they all have in common is that they are hearty and tasty, and can be made using just a single pan. This means they can be prepared even on small boats or using a single-burner gas hob. The only challenge is the fresh minced meat. It is important not to break the cold chain and to use it as quickly as possible. First, wash the peppers (green and yellow), remove the seeds and cut them into pieces. Peel the garlic and chop very finely or crush it, then add to the minced meat. Add a generous pinch of salt, the hot paprika powder, cinnamon, caraway seeds and the harissa paste. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mince until crumbly. Then remove the mince from the pan and add the pieces of pepper. Fry vigorously and season with salt. Then deglaze with 100 millilitres of water. Continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated. Add the minced meat. Served with Greek yoghurt and taco crisps, this minced meat dish is a real treat with little effort (ready in 25 minutes).

Tomato pesto

Ingredients:

• 100 g dried tomatoes
• 100 ml rapeseed oil
• 1/2 clove of garlic
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of thyme
• 1 pinch of oregano
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• Salt and pepper
• Olives (optional)

Chop the dried tomatoes into rough pieces. Strip the leaves from the rosemary sprig and place them in a bowl along with the other herbs, garlic and the chopped tomatoes. Add the oil and blend everything to a fine consistency using a hand blender. Then season to taste with salt and pepper. A jar of homemade pesto will keep in the fridge for three to four days. Stir well before serving. If you’re feeling adventurous, simply dip a piece of baguette into the jar. Delicious!

Pasta salad with seaweed

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 red onion
• 200 g chickpeas
• 100 g pasta
• 1 tsp mustard (hot)
• 1 large pinch of seaweed
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt
• Pepper

Place a pan of water with plenty of salt on the hob. Finely dice the celery and the onion. Drain the tinned chickpeas. They taste even better if you mash them slightly. Add the seaweed flakes, mustard and mayonnaise, and mix everything together in a bowl. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, leave it to cool slightly. Then add it to the other ingredients, stir through, and it’s ready. It tastes even better after being left to stand in the fridge.

Couscous with vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of couscous
• 1 small courgette
• 1 pepper
• 1 onion
• 6 small tomatoes
• 2 tbsp dates, chopped
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 pinch of turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Fresh mint

This salad is quick to make and requires nothing more than hot water. The vegetables are only sautéed briefly, if at all, which also reduces gas consumption. If you heat the water in a kettle, you’ll save even more on supplies. Prepared in advance and stored in a container in the fridge, couscous with vegetables makes an excellent, tasty snack at sea. Pour double the amount of hot water over the couscous in a bowl, add the cumin and dates (or raisins if preferred), cover and leave to soak. Meanwhile, chop the onion, dice the courgette and peppers, and halve the tomatoes. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the courgette and peppers and fry for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook briefly. Then sprinkle in the spices and mix everything together well. Stir in the soaked couscous and chopped pine nuts (almonds are also suitable) and season with salt, pepper and a little olive oil if desired. Sprinkle with fresh mint or parsley before serving.

Focaccia

Ingredients for the dough:

• 400 g flour
• 1 packet of dried yeast
• 250 ml water
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Ingredients for the topping:

• Olives
• dried tomatoes
• Herbs de Provence
• Olive oil
• salt and pepper

Focaccia makes a great snack at sea or a tasty accompaniment to a barbecue. It’s quick to make using long-life ingredients. The dough for this Italian flatbread should be prepared one to two hours in advance. To do this, mix the flour, salt and dried yeast in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the lukewarm water and oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then knead for ten minutes until the dough is nice and soft. Shape into a ball, place in a covered bowl and leave to rise in a warm place. The dough should double in volume. Then slice the olives into small pieces. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces. Once the dough has risen, spread it out on baking paper, taking care not to press it completely flat. Scatter the olives, tomatoes and herbs over the dough and drizzle generously with olive oil. Then leave to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and place the focaccia inside. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes. Check the dough regularly after 10 minutes to ensure it doesn’t burn. Then cut the focaccia into strips and serve. This side dish tastes delicious warm straight from the oven, but is also very tasty cold as a snack in the cockpit.

Vegan leek quiche

Ingredients for a quiche:

• 300 g plain flour
• 800 ml water
• 150 g margarine
• A pinch of salt
• 4 leeks
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 220 g silken tofu
• 4 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp brewer's yeast,
• Nutmeg, lemon juice, Dijon mustard
• 100 ml soy cooking cream
• Oil

Making the leek quiche takes a bit longer and uses quite a lot of gas when baking. Both of these are arguments against it being a recipe for on board. However, it can also be prepared in advance and taken on board. Whether quickly reheated or eaten cold, the quiche is absolutely delicious and perfect for on board. Place the flour and salt in a bowl, then add the margarine. Knead into a coarse crumbly mixture. Pour in the water and knead into a smooth dough. Trim the dark leaves from the leeks, wash the leek stalks and chop them finely. Melt the margarine in a large saucepan and add the garlic. Add the leeks, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Purée the tofu, mustard, cornflour, olive oil, lemon juice, brewer’s yeast and salt, and mix into the leek mixture. Line a baking tin with the pastry, prick holes in it with a fork and pour the mixture into the tin. Then bake in the oven at 180°C for 25 to 30 minutes.

Rustic tortilla with potato and egg

Ingredients for two servings:

• 4 potatoes
• 1 small onion
• 4 eggs
• 100 ml milk
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 handful of grated cheese
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Potatoes and eggs simply go together perfectly. Making them into a tortilla is particularly easy and requires just a frying pan. First, peel the potatoes and grate them coarsely. Squeeze the mixture well to remove any excess liquid. Grate the onion as well. Pour oil into the pan so that the whole base is covered, and heat over a medium heat. Add the grated onion and fry until translucent. Add the grated potatoes, mix with the onion and press down into a flat disc. Season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, optionally adding a dash of milk or cream for extra fluffiness. Season lightly and set aside. When the potatoes smell like fried potatoes and the edges turn golden brown, flip the mixture. This is easiest if you quarter it. Add butter, pour the beaten eggs evenly over the top, sprinkle with cheese and finish cooking. The tortilla is also very easy to prepare in advance and can be reheated at sea or enjoyed cold.

Pasta and mushroom stir-fry

Ingredients for two people:

• 180 g short pasta
• 1 onion
• 500 g mixed mushrooms
• 4 slices of bacon
• 5 tinned tomatoes in oil
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp herb crème fraîche
• 1 tsp dried thyme, pepper and salt

Rustic, hearty and full of flavour – this pasta and mushroom stir-fry combines crispy bacon, golden-brown fried mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes to create a simple, filling dish that’s best prepared on board. It also tastes great in a vegetarian version without the bacon bits, in which case it’s best to use Parmesan instead of crème fraîche.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and leave to cool. Peel the onion, cut it in half and dice it finely. Clean the mushrooms and chop them into slightly smaller pieces if necessary. Cut the bacon into pieces. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add the remaining oil to the hot pan and fry the mushrooms, turning frequently, until golden brown. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Add the diced onion and fry briefly. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and add to the mushrooms. Fold in the pasta and bacon bits. Season the pasta and mushroom mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crème fraîche.

Cabanossi and Cabbage Stew

Ingredients for two people:

• 125 g cabanossi
• 1 onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tin of sauerkraut
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 200 g sour cream
• Salt, pepper

Even keen amateur cooks set different standards for a meal on the go than they do at home. It should be quick and easy to prepare, can certainly be hearty, and should provide warmth and energy. This one-pot dish ticks all the boxes for a meal on the go, yet it’s versatile in flavour and perfectly balanced. What’s more, this dish reheats very well, making it ideal as a quick meal on the go.

First, slice the cabanossi. This sausage, made from beef, pork and bacon, has a strong flavour and a long shelf life. It’s the ideal snack, then. Next, peel and dice the onion, and wash the peppers, remove the seeds and cut them into strips.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the slices of cabanossi over a high heat. Add the peppers and onion and fry briefly. Stir in the tomato purée and heat for about three minutes. Then add the bay leaf, sauerkraut (drained) and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with sour cream and rye rolls. Preparation takes about 30 minutes.

Shakshuka

Ingredients for two people:

• 4 eggs
• 1 red pepper
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 100 g sheep's cheese
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2–3 tbsp coriander
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Whether after a night watch or at anchor, nothing revives the spirits like a warm meal. Tomatoes, peppers and eggs are the perfect combination, and shakshuka is also very easy to make. Chop the onion and peppers and gently fry in olive oil until soft (15 to 20 minutes). Towards the end, add the garlic. Stir in the spices, then add the peeled tomatoes and their juice to the pan, roughly chop them and season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer. Then crumble the feta and stir it into the sauce. Carefully make small wells with a spoon, crack an egg into each one and let it slide in. Cover and continue cooking over a low heat until the eggs have set. This takes about six to eight minutes. The yolk can still be a little runny. Finally, sprinkle with fresh herbs (coriander or parsley) and eat straight from the pan with bread. That way, there’s no washing-up in the sink after this hearty meal. It works just as well at sea when the weather’s a bit rough.

Papaya and avocado salad

Ingredients for two people:

• 75 g basmati rice
• Salt
• 1 small papaya (approx. 450 g), or alternatively a mango
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 mini romaine lettuce
• 1/2 organic lime, 1 tsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp oil, a pinch of sugar

The sweetness of the papaya and the rich flavour of the avocado combine with the rice to create a fresh yet filling meal at sea. If the sea is rough, you can simply eat it straight from the Tupperware container. First, if you don’t have any left over from the day before, cook the rice in salted water. Then peel the papaya (or mango) and cut it in half. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the flesh into thin slices. Halve the avocado and remove the stone. Carefully remove the flesh from the skin and cut it into cubes. Clean and wash the salad, dry it and tear it into pieces. Mix the lime juice and zest with the soy sauce. Whisk in the oil in a thin stream. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and sugar. Gently toss the salad ingredients with the vinaigrette. If the boat is rocking so much that there is a risk of spillage, simply shake everything together in a sealed storage container. In good weather or when at anchor, it is advisable to mix the vinaigrette with the salad just before serving.

Green curry vegetable noodles

Ingredients for two people:

• 1 bunch of 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

This dish is simple, quick to prepare and can easily be adapted by adding other ingredients. Wash the spring onions and sugar snap peas and slice the spring onions into thin rings and quarter the sugar snap peas. Wash the broccoli and separate into florets, then cut them in half so that they cook quickly enough. Peel the stalk and slice it. Wash the pointed cabbage and slice it into fine strips. Peel the ginger and chop it into small cubes. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the ginger. Add the white parts of the spring onions, the sugar snap peas, the broccoli and the cabbage, and fry over a high heat for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Now add the curry paste to the vegetables and fry briefly, then deglaze with the coconut milk and add a further 100 millilitres of water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for another three minutes. Crush the mie noodles slightly and add them to the pan. Simmer uncovered for about four minutes, stirring frequently; add a little more water if the mixture seems too dry. Season the one-pot pasta with soy 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 five-spice powder, oil, soy sauce

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then sear the medallions on both sides for one to two minutes. Now reduce the heat and cook for a further six to seven minutes, turning once halfway through. Season the meat with salt, pepper and sesame seeds. Meanwhile, wash and trim the leek and slice it into fine rings. Rinse the mung bean sprouts in a sieve and leave the bamboo shoots to drain in the sieve. Then remove the medallions from the pan and leave to rest for a few minutes. Add the leek to the pan and sauté for two minutes, stirring continuously. Now add the mung bean and bamboo shoots and stir everything together quickly. Then season the dish with the 5-ingredient spice mix (available to order online) and the soy sauce, and leave to simmer for a few more minutes. Serve with the medallions. Rice is recommended as a side dish (for example, instant basmati rice, to speed things up), but gnocchi or ribbon pasta from the chilled section also make suitable accompaniments – and reduce the cooking time.

Summer Bolognese

Ingredients for 2 people:

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

Method: Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash the thyme, shake it dry and strip the leaves from the stems. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the minced meat in it, stirring frequently, for about five minutes until it is well crumbled. Stir in the garlic, thyme and tomato purée, and fry for one to two minutes. Season the minced meat 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.

Meanwhile, wash the lemon, dry it and finely grate the zest. Squeeze out two tablespoons of lemon juice. Alternatively, use white wine. Grate the Parmesan. Wash the tomatoes, pat them dry and cut them in half. Wash the basil, shake dry and pluck the leaves from the stems. Stir the lemon juice and zest into the minced meat mixture, then season generously with salt and pepper. Fold the minced meat mixture, the tomatoes and the basil into the freshly cooked pasta (e.g. tagliatelle or penne). Arrange the pasta on plates and sprinkle with Parmesan.

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 tbsp clarified butter
• Firm-fleshed fish fillet (cod, haddock, pollock, redfish)

How to make fried potatoes: Drain the al dente potato slices on kitchen paper. Fry the bacon and onions in clarified butter until golden brown. Fry the potatoes in clarified butter until browned, add the bacon and onions, and toss them in the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

How to prepare the fish: Season the fish fillet with salt and pepper, dust lightly with flour and fry in oil until browned. Heat the ready-made hollandaise sauce (do not boil). Whisk in mustard to taste and reheat.

Vegetable stir-fry 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

Method: Dice the onions and fry them in butter or oil. Cook the mixed vegetables in milk for just a short while, stirring constantly. Cut the turkey into strips or cubes and stir 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 diced ham
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 6 gherkins
• 2 onions
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 5 tbsp oil
• Cucumber water

How to make the salad: Peel the potatoes, slice them thinly and boil for 4–5 minutes until al dente. Fry the onion and bacon in the oil, then deglaze with the cucumber water. Season the potato slices and mix everything together gently. Finally, finely dice the hard-boiled eggs and the gherkins and mix them in.

How to make mayonnaise: If you’re preparing the salad on land, you can use an electric hand blender. This makes the process very quick and has the advantage that the salad then has enough time to infuse. Add an egg, a little mustard and a squeeze of lemon to the mixing bowl, insert the hand blender and add 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

Method: Apart from the standard ingredients, you only need to buy five things for this dish, and it’s quick to cook. The good news is that this recipe works not only with beef but also with other types of meat and different variations on the sauce ingredients.

1. Wash and dry the meat, then dice it. Slice the gherkins into thin slices.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. It doesn’t necessarily have to be sunflower oil; any other oil will do. Now sear the finely chopped meat over a very high heat. Only then season with salt and pepper and dust with a little flour. Add the stock (alternatively: white wine) and deglaze the pan; mix the mustard and sour cream thoroughly and stir into the pan. Bring to the boil briefly, then leave to simmer for a while with the lid half on. After about five minutes, the floury taste will have disappeared and the sauce will be creamy. The meat will cook through during this time.

3. Fry the gnocchi in a frying pan or saucepan with olive oil until they turn a golden brown colour, then season with thyme. Next, add the cucumber slices to the meat, season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar, and bring to the boil once more. 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 flaked almonds
• 400 g rice
• 4 onions
• 8 tbsp curry powder
• 8 tbsp flour
• Cocktail fruits
• Chicken stock or milk
• Salt
• Pepper
• Piri-Piri

Method: Sauté the diced onions in butter in a saucepan until translucent. Briefly cook the curry paste, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add the flour and milk one at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Season to taste with salt, pepper, sugar and piri-piri. Peel the banana, cut it lengthways and coat it in egg and flaked almonds. Fry briefly in butter until golden brown (can also be made without the egg and almonds).

Barbecue tips

Barbecue and food for the barbecue:

• The coal must be thoroughly heated
• Turn the meat with tongs instead of a fork
• Never use beer to put out a fire

Determining the cooking levels:

Gently press the steak with your index finger; the firmness of the meat will indicate how well it is cooked when compared with:

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

The resistance these cuts offer to the finger is more or less the same as the resistance the meat offers at different stages of cooking.

Recipes for cooking on board: filling salads

Bean salad with tuna and celery

Ingredients:

• 350 g green beans
• 1 small red onion
• 2 tins of tuna
• 3 sprigs of parsley
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 tsp savory
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• 5 tbsp warm vegetable stock
• Pepper, sugar, oil

This salad makes a tasty snack for in between meals in the cockpit, but also works perfectly as a side dish. The good thing is that all the ingredients keep well without needing to be refrigerated. This saves space in the fridge. First, trim and wash the beans, then cook them together with the savory in boiling salted water for about ten minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Peel the onion and slice into very thin rings. Drain the tuna. Wash the parsley, pat dry and chop the leaves. Trim and wash the celery, then slice it very thinly. Mix together the vinegar, mustard, stock, pepper and sugar, then whisk in the oil in a thin stream. Mix all the ingredients with the vinaigrette and leave to stand for a short while. Preparation takes about half an hour. Season to taste with vinegar, salt and pepper before serving. This salad is also easy to prepare and can be eaten straight from the storage box whilst on the move, if the galley remains cold in rough seas.

Chickpea salad with tomatoes, spinach and black cumin

Ingredients:

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

Preparation: Mix together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and stock. Peel the garlic and crush it into the mixture. Season with sugar and whisk in the oil in a thin stream. Drain the chickpeas. Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. Trim, wash and dry the spinach. Wash and dry the parsley, then chop the leaves. Gently toss the vinaigrette with all the salad ingredients and season to taste with vinegar, salt and pepper if necessary. 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 sprigs of dill
• 150 g prawns (shelled)

Method: Boil the eggs for about 8 minutes. Wash and dry the cucumber, then cut it in half lengthways. Scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Slice the halves. Drain the eggs, rinse them under cold water and peel them. Mix together the sour cream, vinegar, stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Wash, dry, pluck and chop the dill. Gently toss all the salad ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the eggs in half and place them on top of the finished salad.

Pasta salad with mortadella, basil and artichokes

• 150 g short pasta (e.g. penne)
• Salt
• 6 tinned artichoke hearts (in oil)
• 1 mini romaine lettuce
• 3 sprigs of 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 clove of garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Method: Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the instructions on the packet. Drain, rinse under cold water and leave to drain. Drain the artichoke hearts and chop into smaller pieces. Wash, dry and tear the lettuce 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 it into the vinegar mixture. Whisk in the oil in a thin stream. Gently toss the vinaigrette and salad ingredients together and season to taste with vinegar, salt and pepper.

Yellow lentils with smoked pork loin

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 2 floury potatoes
• 300 g smoked pork loin (in one piece)
• 100 g yellow lentils
• 1 medium-sized carrot
• 1 leek
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Method: This dish is quick to prepare (about 40 minutes), delicious, filling, and, to top it all off, there’s hardly any washing up. Perfect for on board. It comes from the cookbook *5 Ingredients*. What makes it special is that, in addition to the basics – which you usually have to hand anyway – you only ever need five ingredients to cook a complete, delicious meal.

1. Wash the yellow lentils and drain them thoroughly. Peel the potatoes, wash them and chop them into small pieces. Trim and wash the leek, then slice it into small rings. Trim and peel the carrot, then slice it thinly.

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

3. Remove the smoked pork loin from the pan, cut the meat from the bones, then dice it. Finely purée the lentils and vegetables and season with salt and pepper. If you don’t have a hand blender, mash them with a fork. Add the meat to the lentils.

Recipes for cooking on board: one-burner meals

Chicken with curry and coconut, served with sweet potato

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 300 g chicken breast fillet
• 2 tbsp whole almonds (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 sprigs of coriander or parsley

Method: Peel the sweet potato and cut it into small cubes. Wash and dry the chicken, then cut it into cubes of about 1.5 cm. Roughly chop the almonds and toast them in a deep frying pan or a wide saucepan without any fat until they are golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the pan. Heat the oil in the hot pan and fry the chicken. 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 soy sauce. Pluck the coriander (or parsley) leaves. Serve the curry and coconut chicken with almonds and coriander.

Ham and 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 whipping cream
• Salt
• 1 bunch of spring onions
• 150 g cooked ham (in a thick slice)
• Pepper
• A few drops of white wine vinegar
• 35 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method: Place the pasta in a large, deep frying pan or a wide saucepan. Add the cream, 500 ml water and 1 tsp salt, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook the pasta uncovered for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, trim and wash the spring onions and slice them diagonally. 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, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Green pea soup with mint and smoked salmon

Ingredients:

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

Method: Peel and dice the onion. Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the diced onion. Add the peas and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Purée the soup until smooth, add 100 g whipping cream and heat through. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Wash and dry the mint, then pluck the leaves. Finely chop half the mint and stir into the soup. Cut the salmon into strips. Serve the soup with the remaining cream, mint and strips of smoked salmon. Serve with the rye 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 peppers
• Olive oil
• Brandy vinegar
• Sea salt flakes
• Piment d’Espelette (or mild chilli powder)
• 1 tsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 lemon
• Bread

Method: Gut and clean the hake, cut into steaks and marinate in a little lemon juice and olive oil. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and arrange them on a large plate with olive oil, a dash of brandy vinegar and flaky sea salt. Fry the peppers in plenty of oil over a medium heat until they have shrunk slightly and the skin starts to blister. Finally, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, toss once more and remove the pan from the heat.

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

Don’t forget to mop up the flavoured olive oil from your plates with some bread at the end.

Tip: Hake can also be easily replaced with fleshy fish such as tuna, bonito or swordfish.

Seafood pasta

Ingredients for two people:

• 300 g of seafood
• 200 g quick-cooking pasta
• 1 handful of baby spinach
• 3 sprigs of dill
• 1 small tin of shellfish paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper

This cookbook is ideal for cooking on a boat. The recipes are easy to follow and are categorised by preparation time, ranging from 20 to 60 minutes. Meat and fish lovers will be just as well catered for as those who prefer vegetarian and vegan options. There’s something for everyone: low-carb, mild, spicy, Mexican, exotic – and even sweet dishes.

Method: 1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then defrost the frozen seafood over a high heat for about four minutes, stirring and browning it lightly (or use fresh seafood). Remove from the pan and set aside. Add about 600 millilitres of water and a pinch of 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 first and constantly towards the end. Meanwhile, wash, dry and chop the dill; wash the spinach as well. When the pasta is almost ready, add the seafood, spinach, dill and shellfish paste. Cook for one to two minutes over a medium heat, stirring constantly. If the seafood mixture seems too dry and is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add water a spoonful at a time. Then season the dish with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Crab cakes with a dip

Ingredients:

• 450 g shellfish (e.g. rock lobster, spider crab, crab or prawns)
• 200 g white fish (e.g. cod, pollock or hake)
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, diced
• 1 tsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 200 g breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp mustard
• pepper, salt
• 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 4 tsp vegetable oil

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

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

Tip: No one wants the smell of grease and fish in the cabin. For food fried in oil or deep-fried, it’s best to cook on deck, or even better, on the jetty.

Summer Herring Salad

Ingredients:

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

Method: Dice all the ingredients into small cubes, mix them together and season with pepper and lemon juice. Then leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Tip: Serve with brown bread as a snack between meals, or serve the salad with fried potatoes as a main course.

Bonito tartare

Ingredients:

• 400 g bonito fillet
• 1 spring onion
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• the juice of half a lime
• chilli flakes
• pepper, salt

Method: Cut the bonito fillet, spring onion and celery into small pieces. Mix together with the remaining ingredients in a bowl, 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 very fresh. Bonito is particularly delicious. When freshly caught, this red-fleshed fish is hardly distinguishable from the much more expensive tuna.

Tip 2: This dish is very versatile; for example, you could make a Mediterranean version using olive oil and lemon instead of sesame oil, soy sauce and lime. Alternatively, you could use other types of fish such as sea bream, salmon or sea bass.

Here are some things to bear in mind when cooking on board:

1. Workplace: Just how seaworthy is the galley? Does the hob really move freely? Are fire extinguishers and a fire blanket within easy reach? Can the cook find a good handhold or brace themselves against a waist belt? Are there anti-slip strips around the edges of the work surfaces? Are there non-slip mats? Always use pot holders or clips to secure pots and pans on the hob. For freestanding stoves such as camping stoves: ensure that the stove is properly installed and secured to prevent it from tipping over in rough seas, but also in the event of sudden waves whilst at anchor.
2. Congestion: Space for storage is limited on a yacht. Plan your meals in advance and organise your storage space carefully to ensure that you have all the necessary ingredients and equipment within easy reach, such as pots and kitchen utensils, as well as a bin, towels and the most important ingredients and spices.
3. Preparation: You can lay damp cloths on the work surfaces to stop plates and pots from slipping, and any liquid ingredients you’ll need 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 in an energy-efficient way, whether using gas, spirit or electric hobs.
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 trips.
6. Rubbish: Remember that you must dispose of all waste produced whilst cooking in the correct manner. On a yacht, it is important to minimise waste and ensure that nothing ends up in the sea.
7. Sea conditions: In rough seas, cooking can be a challenge or even dangerous. Simple, quick-to-prepare meals are often the best option in such circumstances. Alternatively, meals can be cooked before the trip and kept warm in thermal containers, so that no one has to use the hob whilst at sea.
8. Drinking water: Water is a precious resource, especially on a yacht with its limited tank capacity. Use it sparingly when cooking and washing cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery.

More on cooking on board:

• Instead of gas: convenience from the mains – electric cooking on board
• Accessories: Gas barbecues put to the test – barbecuing without charcoal
• Guide: Keeping food cool in hot weather without using the vehicle’s electrical system – 12 tips

Recommended cookbooks:

• Cooking according to the Beaufort scale
• 5 ingredients: recipes for cooking on board
• The MOTORHOME Cookbook
• Captain's Dinner – A maritime journey of discovery featuring authentic sailors' recipes
• Sea air works up an appetite: an on-board cookbook featuring recipes and stories
• Onboard catering today: food and provisions on board cruising yachts