You have to make choices
Space on board a ship is limited, so every object on board must pass a necessity check to assess its legitimacy to join the inventory. And for the galley, it's the same logic.
One must regularly ask oneself:
- What is the real use of this objet??
- How often does usage??
- Is it easy to store and nettoyer??
- Is it fragile??
- Is it lourd??
Answering these questions will probably allow you to objectively evaluate the usefulness of the Baccarat crystal glasses, the raclette machine or the 18-person service..
Moreover, the quantity of crockery available on board is a subject in its own right. Should we have a service for 4, 6, 8 or 10 personnes?? It depends of course on the boat, but a strange phenomenon governs the life of the dishes on board. If I have a set of 10 forks then they will all be dirty and piled up in the sink before one of them is washed.
But if I only have 6 forks on board, the "fork fairy" will discreetly come and clean one of them when it's needed. The same goes for the rest of the dishes. If there are only a few utensils to mess up, you'll have to clean them more often, but that will prevent the sinks from overflowing.
A pressure cooker, a wok and a cast iron frying pan
In a boat, even if you don't have a lot of equipment, you have to pay attention to versatility and quality. Invest in a few very good utensils and leave everything else at home. From experience, the following combination is a good compromise:
- One pressure cooker: It was very popular, but in the face of modern electric cookers it has lost its appeal. There is no doubt that on board we will rediscover all its advantages. The pressure cooker can be used open like an ordinary pan or closed to cook under pressure and steam. In addition to being "healthy", the pressure cooker will considerably reduce cooking times, thus saving gas.
A wok: It has been popularized through world food. This cooking utensil from Asia will easily find its place on board. This non-stick pan with a round, thin bottom heats up quickly and is easy to clean, making it a precious ally in the kitchen. It is the perfect tool for stir-frying potatoes, vegetables, pasta, searing meats, making omelettes..
A cast-iron skillet: A cast iron skillet can be used for a variety of purposes, such as frying, searing or making sauces. It retains heat well and is also a good cooking tool if you have an oven. It's versatile and easy to clean, but beware, cast iron is very heavy (heavy enough to make skittles).
A set of nesting pots and pans: If you still have some space left in the kitchen, get a good set of stainless steel nesting pans with removable handles.
Silicone, that wonderful invention
This material has revolutionized the kitchen (among other things), silicone is durable and flexible, but it is also easy to clean, heat resistant and affordable.
There are many silicone products that can be perfectly fitted on board. Handles for taking a dish out of the oven, foldable containers, flexible moulds, foldable colanders, washing-up buckets... And what's more, almost any colour is available, which also makes them decorative items.
The only good knives are the ones that cut well..
After investing in high quality pots and pans, some very good knives are indispensable in the kitchen. Working with blunt knives is much more dangerous than sharp and precise knives.
Chef's or filleting knives are only good if you can sharpen them. And for this, there is nothing like hand sharpeners with a carbide side and a ceramic side. The carbide is the first step and allows you to find the edge again while the ceramic side sharpens the blade.
It is very wise to have one or more ceramic knives however, they can break when falling and their exceptional sharpness does not sharpen once blunt.
We invite you to enrich this dossier with your experiences. You can share your contributions through the comments at the bottom of the articles.
