BAKING TIN – one that fits your oven size exactly; non-stick helps. Roasting bags are another useful addition.
BARBECUE – if you’re fed up with being stuck in the galley on hot summer evenings, consider a boat barbecue – charcoal, of course. Though many a sailor is nervous about flames near fiberglass, so you might prefer to opt for a portable barbecue to use at the beach instead.
CHOPPING BOARDS – ideally choose several flexible, colour-coded, synthetic ones, so you avoid any cross-contamination when chopping raw meat and fish. I buy mine from innovative British.
COCKTAIL SHAKER – don’t laugh. Essential if you love a cocktail on board. Unbreakable, too, if you choose a stainless steel one, though you can of course improvise and use a Thermos.
COLANDER – stainless steel is best, though if you can be trusted to keep a plastic one away from the hob, consider Joseph Joseph’s space-saving folding one.
CONTAINERS –decant your coffee, tea and sugar into durable containers, keeping clear of glass; re-use and top up supermarket jars of herbs and spices.
CUTLERY – the usual set of knives, forks and spoons, plus a wooden spoon, fish slice, scissors, bottle and can openers, vegetable peeler, lemon zester, small balloon whisk, grater (Microplane is a good make),
and skewers.
HERB SAVER – unless otherwise mentioned, whenever I refer to herbs in the book I’m talking fresh herbs. Dried herbs generally require longer cooking times, though there are exceptions – namely oregano, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. And be- fore you say, ‘And just how do you expect us to keep herbs fresh on board?’ I give you the Prepara MiniHerb Saver Pod, available from www.whiskcooking.co.uk, better than bunging them in a glass of water to keep them fresh. They will keep for up to two weeks in the pod in a conventional fridge, and for a few days in a cool box.
KETTLE – choose one you can fill through the spout – it’s easier.
KNIVES – buy good ones, keep them sharp and store them safely; it will make life on board easier and cut down on preparation times. A 13cm cook’s knife should see you through most jobs, plus a smaller paring knife for fiddly jobs. And if you are going to take advantage of the sea’s bountiful produce, then you’ll also need a fish-boning knife and an oyster knife.
MANDOLIN – sounds a bit poncy, I know, but you can buy a cheap version of this slicer (OXO Good Grips does a good-value plastic one) and it will make salads more exciting.
MEASURING CUPS/JUG – buy separately or with mixing bowls. Failing that, use a standard mug – it should hold about 225ml of liquid or enough rice for two to three people. Or just guess, which I do frequently, with varying accuracy.
MIXING BOWLS – you will need a couple. Best is a set of stainless steel mixing bowls that will fit inside the pressure cooker for easy storage. Even better if it comes with integrated measuring cups.
OVEN THERMOMETER – because many galley stoves are difficult to regulate and thermostats are often unreliable.
POTS AND PANS – one deep-sided sauté pan with a lid ideally around 28cm in diameter, plus a smaller saucepan, both preferably with removable handles for easy storage.
Don’t stint on your pans. They should be made of stainless steel and have thick bottoms – even heat distribution is the name of the game here.
You’ll also need a couple of less durable but cheaper non-stick frying pans – far easier on the washing-up – which you can bin when the surfaces are worn.
PRESSURE COOKER – it’s your fastest route to a sustaining meal on the boat, transforming dried beans into soups and stews in just 20 minutes. It saves on fuel, too, and survives happily during an errant wake. Invest in a good one – the pans should bemade from stainless steel . In fact, a fair number of the recipes in this book could be cooked more quickly in a pressure cooker, but I’ve singled out four as being particularly pressure-cooker-friendly. The pressure cooker also doubles up as a pasta pan, or indeed any time you need to use a deep saucepan – just find another lid for it. Deep pans are particularly good when the waves start rolling the boat.
RAMEKINS – sure, you canmake one big dish, but dividing the recipes up into individual portion sizes not only cuts down the cooking time, they double up as serving dishes too, so less washing-up. Use metal ones on board.
SPLATTER GUARD – because the last thing you want in a confined space is smelly grease splats.
SMOKER – you can buy compact hot-smokers these days, or make your own – though filling the cabin full of smoke isn’t ideal, so keep the smoker for use at the beach or athome for making the most of your catch after a trip (see page 120).
TABLEWARE –plastic is the way to go on board when it comes to boat tableware, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be stylish. There are plenty of brands out there (I’m also particularly partial to the blue-edged white enamelware from www.falconenamelware.com). Make sure you includedeep-dished bowls for porridge, soups and noodles. Choose stackable drinking tumblers to save on space.
THERMOS – for keeping those hot dogs at the ready, for keeping soup warm for when you need it, for shaking a cocktail, and for a supply of hot drinks during a night watch.
WEIGHING SCALES – you can just guess, of course (it gets better with practice), but if you would rather play it safe then buy some folding digital scales.