Cooking on a boat: lunch and dinner

Enjoy cooking on board. Simple and delicious meals that are quick and easy to make even in the smallest of galleys

Cooking on board
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If you’re in need of some recipe inspiration, look no further than our guide to cooking on board your boat. These recipes are fresh, simple and easy to make in even the smallest galleys.

Brian Thompson’s sautéed squid with parsley, lemon and garlic mayonnaise (from The Boat Cookbook by Fiona Sims)

Recipes: Squid

Serves 2 or 4 as a starter

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Few dollops of good mayonnaise
450g small squid, cleaned
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 tbsp chopped chilli (optional)
Salt and pepper

Method:
Stir one of the crushed garlic cloves into the mayonnaise. Pull off the little tentacles from the squid, pat dry with a paper towel and set aside. Cut the squid into 2cm rings. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan until smoking. Add the squid rings and tentacles in a single layer, then add the butter, the other crushed garlic clove and the parsley. Cook, tossing frequently, for 1-2 minutes until the squid is opaque and cooked through. Season and serve with the lemon wedges and the garlic mayonnaise.

 

Southern spiced trout fillets with chilli sweetcorn fritters (from The Boat Cookbook by Fiona Sims)

Recipes: Trout with Corn Cakes


Serves four and makes 8 fritters

Ingredients:

150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
125ml milk
2 eggs
1x275g tinned sweetcorn, drained
4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 tsp red chillies, deseeded and chopped
Handful of coriander, chopped
Rapeseed oil for frying
3 tsp spice mix no. 4 (1 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tsp ground pepper, 1 tsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt)
4 trout fillets
Salt and pepper

Method:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, a couple of pinches of salt and the baking powder. (You should really sift it, but what’s the odd lump when you’re on board?). Mix the milk and eggs together, make a well in the flour and add the egg mixture, whisking until smooth. Add the sweetcorn, spring onions, chilli and coriander and stir until combined. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of batter for each fritter, doing them one at a time if your frying pan is small. Fry for a few minutes until golden on each side, then keep them warm while you cook the trout. Rub the spice mixture on to each side of the fish fillets. Grill the fish for 3-4 minutes on each side until done, season and serve with the warm fritters.

 

Spaghetti with tuna, olives, capers, tomatoes and basil (from The Boat Cookbook by Fiona Sims)

Recipes: spaghetti tuna, capers, olives, basil

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 medium onion peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
4 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp green or black olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
1x400gr tinned chopped tomatoes
100ml dry white wine
500gr spaghetti
1x200g tinned tuna, drained
8 basil leaves, torn, or 1tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Method:
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion and soften for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and capers and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes and the wine and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or so until the mixture has thickened. Meanwhile, bring salted water to the boil in another saucepan and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Add the drained tuna and the basil or parsley to the sauce, season, stir in the cooked spaghetti and serve.

 

Butternut Squash Stew by Royal Dart Yacht Club (& dinghy instructor) Kit Noble
butternut squash stew

Serves four

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp paprika
225g sweet potato cubed
1 red pepper deseeded and chopped
1 butternut squash (about 550g) peeled and chopped
400g can of chopped tomato
200 ml red wine
300ml of vegetable stock
75g bulgur wheat

Method:

In a large pan, heat the olive oil, then cook the onion and garlic for 5-7 mins until the onion is softened. Add the cumin seeds and paprika, then cook for a further 2 mins. Stir in the sweet potato, red pepper and butternut squash and toss with the onion and spices for 2 mins. Pour in the tomatoes, red wine and vegetable stock, season, then simmer gently for 15 mins. Stir in the bulgur wheat, cover with a lid, then simmer for 15 mins more until the vegetables are tender, the bulgur wheat is cooked and the liquid has been absorbed. Serve in bowls topped with a spoonful of Greek-style yogurt and some grated vegetarian cheddar.