The homestretch.

It has been brought to my attention by a reader of this blog that my entry might be misconstrued as a leisure trip and not a working culinary one. So...I will try to focus more on the culinary challenges of cooking on a boat and away from the creature comforts of land and less on the sight seeing aspect of my time in the 49th state.

Thursday was El Capitan's birthday, so I thought that a few of his favorite things would be in order.

Years ago The Boss (his wife) entrusted me with a family recipe and asked if I could try and recreate. She can but doesn't feel like taking the time and El Capitan likes it quite a bit as it was one his mother made for him. The dish is a round steak in a creamy chicken sauce. Basically you slice 1/2 inch prices of round steak from a roast, dust in a secret blend of seasonings and flour, then pound to a uniform thinness, brown in oil and set aside. Once all pieces are browned, deglaze pan with water and a can of soup from a not to be mentioned red and white label. (This is an OLD recipe remember) Pour sauce over the meat. Meanwhile, make dumplings. Flour, baking powder, oil and more sercret seasonings, one of which is so obscure, I brought with me from PA as to be sure I'd not be screwed. Place rounded balls of batter over meat, dust with breadcrumbs and stud with butter. Bake for about 2 hours. There is a sauce that you serve with the dish, it consists of the aforementioned red and white can of soup, (yes, 2 cans per recipe!) and......wait for it......a PINT of sour cream! I 'made it healthier' and used light sour cream. Back to this in a minute.

HappyHour was his all-time fave, LemonPepper Chicken Wings with at least two Cutty and Water. The convection microwave on June boat work great, cooking wings crispy within 25 minutes.

Back to the entree. You need to understand that the largest sauté pan I have on the boat is about 10 inches across. This is not by choice, but the largest size that the TWO-burner stove will allow. Browning 2 pounds of earlier explained meat takes about an hour! Now the oven. Yes there is the convection microwave I used for wings, but that's just it, the WINGS are in the oven for happy hour and I need 2 hours for this meat dish to cook. So...I need to use the very slow and weak propane oven. Family recipe says 325 for 1-1/2 hours, translated to boat oven, 375 for at least 2 hours.

We're enroute to Three Saints Bay, the namesake for this yacht. It's beautiful, stunning, serene, etc.

Thankfully, it being a birthday, happy hour lasted a couple of hours and was met with the dischard of firearms at floating targets in the otherwise pristine bay. Finally the crew was corralled to the sette and dinner was served. El Capitan was a-grin ear-to-ear when he saw his favorite recipe made on his boat on his birthday. Best compliment I could have asked for. The other being that 6 adults man-handled a 9x13 pan of protein and carbs that realistically should feed 10! Oh well...

No leftovers is a good thing on a yacht. Dessert is a simple ice cream with chocolate sauce.

I'm beat. I need to do the dishes yet, set up coffee and breakfast for the morning, convert my sleeping area into a berth and try to decompress. This yacht has a two-drawer dishwasher which is great, but not when the water tanks are at the level they currently sit. Guest showers in the morning trump clean dishes, so it's a quick hand wash to ensure clean stuff for the morning.

Friday we're starting early as we need to get some fish. Guests are up at 6am, fishing at anchor in 130 feet of water for halibut. Good thing I set up the coffee as to get a could extra minutes of rest. Regardless, I'm vertical by 6:30 and making muffins and more coffee. Suddenly, Doc, one of the guests, rips into what must be a 'but. However, we're all skeptical as he is reeling in a very slow, methodical manner. About ten minutes later a 45# halibut is dancing about angrily on our back deck! I get to put my filet skills to the test, we vac pac and get the bags in the deep freeze as fast as possible. However, reality is that Doc won't be able to take the fish home because it won't be frozen solid. So guess what?!?! Yours truly gets to bring home salmon and halibut! Clear the freezer honey!

A very bumpy ride back to Kodiak in which I had to succumb to lying down to avoid an upheaval of breakfast. Safely in port and back in equilibrium I sautéed up some of our salmon catch from the other day, along with a slaw of what was in the fridge. I apologize that a photo does not follow, but perhaps Doc will send one soon and I will add to this entry. Here is the beginnings before pan sautéing.

Guests and The Boss safely en route to aero puerto, and all that is left is me, Captain Mark and El Capitan. A welcome long exhale and El Capitan proclaims that we're going out for dinner. Kewl! Well....we're going to the Kodiak Elks Club! Spaghetti and meatballs is on the menu tonight, but at least I don't have to cook or clean up. Tomorrow will be a crazy day of packing and preparing some meals for the next crew to enjoy. Captain Mark and I chill back at the boat, reflecting on the trip over a few beers and then watch a movie. Morning comes early on a boat!

Saturday

Beautiful day in Alaska, I'm preparing a few meals of what's in the fridge as well as a complete inventory of available food for the next crew. Before I know it it's time to pack up and head to the airport, bringing to a close this installment of Chef Theo's Alaskan Adventure.

Tell your friends about my blog, cooking on boats and our Personal Chef Service, A la Maison Personal Chef Service. Eat Well, or Don't Eat at All!

Cheers!

Chef Theo

 

Alaska-Kiliuda Bay, McCord Bay & Ocean Beach

Our first anchor spot of the trip after leaving Kodiak was Kiliuda Bay. After a relatively smooth 3-hour cruise we settled into our one-particular harbor for the evening. I preceded to grill up the flank steak that I had put on marinade and we enjoyed fajitas with three-chili rice and cayenne-infused brownies for dessert. Tomorrow we head southwest towards Old Harbor for water and to see some old friends.

Old Harbor, Alaska. A native community in a pretty desolate part of Alaska. El Capitan has been visiting this part of the world for the better part of 40+ years. He helped build the church here and is welcomed with open arms. I was 'stuck' here some years back when he needed to fly home for a family thing. There are no restaurants, bars, stores, shy of a very limited convenience store. So just imagine how yours truly dealt with that experience!

Part of the week was functional and not just pleasure cruising. Two new skiffs needed to be offloaded from the boat and transferred over bear-occupied land to an interior lake on Sitkalidik Island. These skiffs are used to access primo fishing grounds. After motoring ashore to the island, Skipper and I took a 'Kodiak Sleigh Ride' courtesy of our Token Native.

Boats in place we hiked back to the shore and awaited pickup by dingy and transport back to Three Saints.

It being Monday, I could not let my unorthodox change in latitude keep me from observing Mojito Monday! 

We anchored in McCord Bay under stunning blue skies and comfy temps. We enjoyed grilled ribeye steaks with a mushroom red-wine sauce, broccoli and roasted potatoes, ending with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Tuesday was probably the best day of the trip IMHO. It was Ocean Beach Day. On the south side of Sitkalidik Island is a pristine white sand beach that rivals any I've ever seen. From our anchorage it's about a 4 1/2 mile hike one-way. We took the river and fished on our way to the beach. This experience was probably my entire motivation for leaving summer and going to Alaska. I couldn't wait to see the beach. I sprinted ahead of the rest in my group, totally forgetting that Mr. Bear could be my welcoming party! This is what I saw:

I didn't want to leave. I sprinted off down the beach with a grin ear to ear. It kinda felt like Chariots of Fire. Did a bit of beachcombing, lots of medical waste and plastic, but nothing too kewl other than a stray fishing float for the nautical wall at home. 

Here's a satellite view of Ocean Beach, note the stream, that's where we were fishing.

More fishing to be had, so back to the skiffs.

I've never been much of a fisherman. I've been up to Canada with my Father on a few occasions, but more for bonding than pursuit of the finney creature. Last time I was fishing in Alaska I was quite successful, so I was feeling a bit cocky this time around. Cast after cast, nothing...nada...nil...zippo. Just as we're motoring away I throw one more cast off the boat and BAM! a good sized silver salmon attacks my lure. A good 5-8 minutes of fighting and this was the result:

Facing a 45 minute boat ride plus a similar length hike and the dingy ride, I decided to let this one go back to school. Back at the boat, exhausted, we drank and told stories of our day and dined on Chicken Picatta over angel hair pasta followed by key lime pie.

Good Morning Sunshine!

I decided to hang back on Wednesday with The Boss and get a head start on meals for the next few days, relax a bit and plus, I wasn't really jazzed nor hired to be fishing on this trip. More later.

Eat Well or don't eat at all!

And away we go!

Good Morning from Alaska!

As the few of you that follow Chef Theo Petron on F-Book know, I've been provisioning in port at Kodiak, Alaska since my arrival in the 49th state this past Thursday the 28th of August, late afternoon. A brief synopsis of my time since landing.

Thursday 8/28

Luggage, Rental Car, Welcome beers on the boat, quick look-a-bout through the galley and any lingering supplies, walk to town and dinner at Henry's Great Alaskan Restaurant, more sampling of Alaskan craft brews, in bed by 8pm (body time is midnight, making it a 20-hour day!)

Friday 8/29

Finalize menu plan, create thorough shopping list, make liquor store run, breakfast at a local diner, I had reindeer sausage! 

Cleaning interior of boat, dinner again at Henry's with additional craft beer sampling, in bed by 11.

Saturday 8/30

Provisioning day! Major thanks to the patient employee of the Kodiak Safeway who rang up our $1200 order! Seems like a lot, but remember that everything is more expensive on an island and the temperature has no bearing on that; Cayman, Maui, New Zealand, Kodiak. Case in point, avocados are $3/each! Great lesson on using everything. Our order is boxed up for ease of transport to the yacht and we're off. Back to the boat the task now become determining how and where to fit a weeks worth of provisions in a manner to speed accessibility and to lessen any spoilage. Shopping takes 2-1/2 hours, another 1-1/2 stowing. Afternoon is spent heading to the fishery and buying fresh crab for the Sunday brunch. Steam crab, crack all the crab.

Make crab cakes. Final clean-up of the boat before the Boss and guests arrive at 5:30pm. Planning welcome appetizers, oh but wait! I receive a text from The Boss while they're in Anchorage wondering,'what's for dinner?' #*!#*!!!!!! I was just planning a simple snack as I figured they'd be tired from a day of travel. Nope, seems they want full on dinner. Thank God there is a pressure cooker onboard. I prepared simple beef burgundy that is a massive hit! Guests brought oatmeal cookies so dessert is covered. Early to bed, tomorrow guests are coming for brunch, Crab Cake Benedict for 8.

Sunday 8/31

Orange scone batter mixing. Bake scones. Toast 16 English muffin halves. Make hollandaise sauce. Pre-poach eggs. Heat crab cakes (sautéed yesterday). Guest are late. Grrrrr. Hold holly without breaking. Cut scones. Guests arrive. Silence, my biggest compliment!

Top off the tanks and we're on our way! Next stop Kiluida Bay.

En route at 22+kts of speed I'm marinating flank steak for the evenings meal. Also making guacamole, prepping peppers and onions and baking brownies for dessert. After 3+ hours of motoring the hook is down just before 5:00. The sun is still out, so happy hour involves gin and tonics, vodka tonics and perhaps a Mojito. Beers for Captain Mark and I.

In bed by 10:00. Breakfast is on your own tomorrow, or so I think...

P.S. The weather has been un-characteristically BEAUTIFUL since arrival, mid 60's and sunshine with light winds. As with any of my past Alaska trips, this will, undoubtedly change...