Kitchen below Decks

Culinary tips for watersports enthusiasts by Moritz Freudenthal

Moritz Freudenthal - Cooking with joy
Moritz Freudenthal has been a professional chef for over 15 years. At boot Düsseldorf, he inspires visitors with numerous tips and tricks for tasty fish recipes during live cooking. Moritz not only knows the finest kitchens and great chefs in Germany, he’s also an expert when it comes to cooking and travelling in tight confines. He’s currently planning his next holiday on the Gotland coast. Before each trip, the expert finds it helpful to draw up a precise plan. “What do I eat, what does my crew like and how much will we need? It can even make sense to write down what and how much you eat per week. At sea you usually need a bit more of everything. You're outdoors and on the move all day. That makes you hungry.”

Download the recipe: Trout with wild garlic risotto

Then it´s time to go shopping

“The basic staples are noodles, rice, potatoes, onions, sugar, salt and flour." Nuts and legumes are also important sources of energy and nutrients. “Lentils are totally underrated,” says the chef. “They make great stews and side dishes. For those who like it a bit lighter and more trendy, I recommend bulgur and couscous. These are also easy to store, have a long shelf life and are very healthy." In addition, of course, there are fresh ingredients, fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. Savoy cabbage, beetroot and sweet potatoes are always a must, especially in spring, and are very versatile.

Well prepared

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.

The kitchen gadgets

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."

Cook on board

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.

Moritz Freudenthal is really looking forward to a little treat on his Gotland trip: "I always go into the forest and look for wild garlic. You can find it everywhere in Denmark and Sweden. I use it to make fresh pesto, for example. By the way, you can prep it at home and take it with you either preserved or vacuum-packed. Serve it up with mashed potatoes, fresh-caught fish and a little gravy. Simply yummy.“

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