Recipes for cruise stews, quick and easy tummy fillers
Issue 20 : Sept/Oct 2001
The last thing most of us want to do when cruising is to spend much of the day standing over a hot stove. At first, my solution was a picnic cooler filled with bologna sandwiches and potato chips. But on longer cruises I began to notice a marked discontent among the rest of the crew. I suggested that each of us take turns with the cooking chores. Nice try, but in no time we were back to bologna. It was time to hit the books . . . cookbooks. And there it was, the one-pot answer to my prayers: good old-fashioned stew.
Stews are staple fare in every country around the globe, testimony to their great taste and convenience. These days, for shipboard cuisine I choose stews made with simple ingredients that take little preparation and cooking time. The final requirement is flexibility. These dishes can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned ingredients and still taste great. My galley pantry is lean. I have dried spices and herbs and canned vegetables. On longer trips canned meats, such as chicken, are staples. And I always have beef, chicken, and vegetable bouillon to make quick, flavorful stock. Whenever luck allows, I use fresh ingredients. The best finishing touch for these “tummy fillers” is good crusty bread if you have it, but regular sliced bread will do in a pinch.
Stews should be made in non-reactive stainless-steel cookware. Using iron or aluminum pots or skillets with acidic foods, such as tomatoes, vinegar, or wine, will cause discoloration and affect the flavor of the dish.
Sailor’s Stew
No shipboard recipe collection would be complete without “Sailor’s Stew.” Serves 8.
Ingredients:
2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon flour
1 1⁄2 cups sliced onion rings
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1⁄3 teaspoon oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 slice fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds cod or monkfish steak, diced*
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs lightly beaten (optional)
2 tablespoons lime juice
*Fresh or canned chicken can be substituted for the fish.
To prepare: In a large skillet, break up the tomatoes with a fork. Add the flour and stir until all the lumps disappear. Add the onion rings, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, mustard, allspice, and ginger. Cook covered for 15 minutes.
Add the fish and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, until flaky. Remove from heat. Stir in the beaten eggs, if you are using them, and the lime juice. Return to heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Serve hot.
Maine Chicken Stew
This is real Downeast comfort food, great for chilly days. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
3 1⁄2-pound package of chicken, cut up*
3 potatoes
2 onions
cold water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup milk, half-and-half, or evaporated milk
salt and pepper
minced parsley
4 to 6 saltines
*Or canned chicken.
To prepare: In a large pot, place alternate layers of chicken, slices of potato, and thinly sliced onion. Cover with cold water. Simmer until chicken is tender. Add butter in small bits and half of the half-and-half or milk. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley. Split crackers and moisten in the remaining half-and-half or milk. Add to stew and heat thoroughly.
Potato and Rice Soup
This is a traditional Italian recipe for a hearty dinner soup. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1⁄2 tablespoon tomato paste diluted in 6 cups water
2 slices of bacon chopped (or prosciutto)
1⁄2 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon minced parsley
4 medium potatoes, pared and diced
1 cup rice
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
To prepare: Place the bacon, garlic, and parsley in soup pan and brown well. Add tomato paste, diluted in water, and salt. Bring to a boil. When water is boiling rapidly, add potatoes and rice. Cook 20 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Stew Roman Style
The original recipe calls for beef, but like all of these recipes, can be made with fresh or canned chicken. This meal takes slightly longer to cook, but it is worth every minute. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 slices of bacon or prosciutto, chopped
2 pounds of stew beef or chicken (if canned chicken, use two
cans)
salt and pepper 1⁄8 teaspoon marjoram or oregano
1 cup red wine (white wine for chicken)
1 small can whole tomatoes or 3 large fresh tomatoes, peeled
and sliced
To prepare: Place the olive oil, chopped onion, bacon, and garlic in a stewpot and brown slightly; add meat, salt, pepper, and marjoram or oregano. Let the meat brown. When the meat is well browned, pour the wine over it and continue cooking until the wine is absorbed. Add the tomatoes and enough water to cover the meat. Cover the pan and cook until the meat is tender — no more than 2 hours. If the gravy is too thick, it can be thinned with water. The gravy will be dark and very tasty. This can be served with steamed rice or bread.
Vegetable Soup with Pistou
One day I hope to sail around the Mediterranean, but until then I will content myself by eating this wonderful soup as I sail along the coast of New England. The vegetables in this recipe can be replaced with canned or frozen vegetables, but I recommend leaving out the zucchini in that case. Serves 8.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves thinly sliced, or 2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1⁄2 cup chopped canned tomatoes
1 cup cooked cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 medium carrot halved and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
10 cups water
1 cup cut green beans
1 medium zucchini thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup uncooked macaroni
Pistou:
3 garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup fresh basil (or dried basil soaked in warm water for 15 minutes)
1⁄3 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
To prepare: Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes. Add the tomatoes, cannellini, carrots, salt, and water. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add the green beans, zucchini, and macaroni. Simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Pistou by combining all the ingredients in a mortar or small bowl and mashing them together. To serve, remove the soup from the heat and stir in the Pistou.
Pasta and Cannellini Soup
This is based on the traditional Italian favorite, Pasta e Fagioli. Once again, those sunny Mediterranean flavors shine through. Serves 6.
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced, or 2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 1⁄2 cups drained, canned, whole tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper
7 cups water and vegetable bouillon
6 ounces elbow macaroni
To prepare: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add rosemary and garlic and heat over medium heat. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer three or four minutes. Add vegetable bouillon and water and simmer five minutes. Add the pasta and simmer seven minutes. Add the cooked beans and simmer three minutes to heat and blend flavors. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot with crusty bread.
Happy sailing!
Barbara grew up in Connecticut, where she learned to love ships and the ocean. She taught high school and worked as a professional singer and musician performing in some of the best jazz joints in the country. She now lives and sails in Colorado.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
