The Galley: One Pot Meals

April 24th, 2014

illustrationsail The Galley: One Pot MealsOne Pot Meals are a Boon To Sailors

By Betha Merit

 

One-pot cooking, a boon for sailors, has an appealing flexibility. When the ice in the box is gone after about five days, and you’ve depleted your fresh meat and poultry, but you still have a good store of vegetables that keep well, you then turn to the canned meats.  For vessels with refrigeration, if you pack well, you have the option of fresh meat and veggies for longer.

The more hardy vegetables do not require long-term refrigeration (carrots, celery, cabbage, potatoes and onions) and can be combined with canned corn beef, chicken, tuna and beef with interesting results. White sauces and mushroom soup provide tasty bases. Wine, spices and garlic should be on hand in every galley.

Fresh tomatoes and parsley keep well. You can make a good marinara sauce with tomatoes, diced onions, fresh parsley, garlic and dried basil.

The following recipes are basics that can be adapted by substituting or adding more veggies and spices on hand.

Home Style Beef Stew

Serves 4 hungry sailors

  • 1 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 lb. boneless beef chuck, tip, or round roast cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 cups cold water (may substitute dry red wine for part of liquid)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 medium carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
  • large unpeeled potato, cut into bite 1½-inch pieces
  • 1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • small onion, chopped
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 2 T. all-purpose flour

In large skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat one to two minutes.  Add meat; cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned.

Add water, ½ tea. salt and pepper.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover; simmer two hours or more until beef is almost tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients except cold water and flour.  Cover and cook about 30 minutes or until veggies are tender.  Remove bay leaf.

Stir cold water and flour together to make a paste; gradually stir into beef mixture.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir one minute, until thickened.

chickenstew The Galley: One Pot Meals

Quick Chicken Stew

Serves 4 hungry sailors

  • 3 T. olive oil
  • 1 T. unsalted butter
  • 1 lb. thin chicken breast slices, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 t. ground ginger or 1 T. fresh grated ginger
  • 1 t. paprika (may use smoked paprika)
  • ¾ t. salt and pepper, each
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • 3 T. red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1-15 oz. can chickpeas (or any firm bean), drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup packed spinach leaves, stems cut off
  • 1 cup pre-cooked angel hair pasta, optional

Melt the olive oil and butter in large skillet over medium-heat.  Add the chicken, carrots, garlic, ginger, paprika, salt and pepper.  Turn occasionally, for about 15 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste.  Add the vinegar, water, chickpeas and spinach.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Cooked angel hair pasta may be stirred in at the end and heated through.

 

 

Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine