Kitchen below Decks

Even though you can buy fresh food in most ports, you don't always want to go looking for the nearest supermarket or maybe you’ve planned a long cruise without any shore excursions. Moritz's tip: "Prepare food and vacuum-pack it at home. You can get good vacuum sealers that are also suitable for household use and can be used to preserve everything for longer. I cook many dishes in advance: sauces, pestos, even homemade vegetable soup powder. It's basically just mixed vegetables with salt and makes a great base for all soups and sauces. Everything is vacuum-packed in portions and can be easily stored in the smallest corners. Freshly caught fish and meat also keeps much longer in such pouches." If you don't have your own vacuum sealer, you can also ask your local butcher to seal the meat airtight when you buy it.

Pots, pans and plates – every ship has its own basic equipment, that's for sure. However, Moritz Freudenthal always has two little aces up his sleeve that take up little space and add a lot: “A small electric kettle saves time when cooking, it’s tip-proof and never boils over. Also good: a small gas grill. My favourite is the Scotti, it’s easy to set up and has a small cartridge, maybe the size of an A4 sheet, with a fireproof tarpaulin underneath. It's a real asset and fits in any backpack. Besides that, anything that’s stackable is great. There are very practical pot sets with handles that clip on."

Most galley kitchens aren’t suitable for elaborate cooking sessions. But with a few simple tricks, you can whip up delicious dishes without a lot of effort. A tea kettle and quick ingredients like bulgur save long simmering time on the cooker. Just boil some water, pour it over the grain and leave it to expand – just fluff with a fork and it’s done. Serve it with vegetables, fish or grilled meat. The prep team can chop the veg in the salon to free up space in the galley. For menu planning, the professional chef recommends a simple rule of thumb: “Always cook twice as much pasta as you need. The first day you have it with sauce, next day pasta salad with meatballs. If you plan ahead, you can be super efficient and conjure up three different dishes from the same ingredients. On the last day, I always serve leftovers: all the odds and ends lying around that have to go. I fry it all up, add rice and season with soy sauce – and it’s ready to eat. Soy sauce is another magic sword that belongs in every cook’s arsenal.