The Cruise Chef
Favorite recipes of cruise chefs from around the world and of restaurants in ports
where they go
June 2001
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SECRET RECIPES FROM THE RIVERBARGE CRUISE LINE
A few weeks go we cruised on the River Explorer barge from New Orleans along the
lower Mississippi and the connecting waterways and bayous. For seven days we explored
the lower Louisiana, much of it through Cajun and Creole country. Here are some
of the wonderful recipes for traditional regional foods we got from the chefs
on board and from the food and beverage manager.
CRAB BISQUE
3/4 cup butter
1 large onion
1/4 cup celery
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons crab base (use seafood base if no crab base)
3/4 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay
1 1/2 pounds crabmeat
1 cup heavy cream
1 quart shrimp stock
pinch of salt
dash of pepper
Sauté celery and onion in butter; blend until onions are clear. Add seafood base,
tomato paste, and paprika. Blend well. Add Old Bay and flour to make a roux. Cook
to medium brown. Deglaze with white wine. Strain the stock and add it to the roux.
Stir with whisk until there are no lumps. Add crabmeat and liquid. Blend well.
Add cream and blend. Salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 7-10 servings
CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE
1/3 cup of butter
1/2 medium onion
1/4 cup celery (diced into ¼ inch pieces)
1/3 green bell pepper
1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 1/3 cup shrimp stock
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 pounds of crawfish tails
1 teaspoon seafood base
10 whole crawfish, steamed, cooled
pinch of salt and dash of pepper
On top of stove, sauté vegetables in butter. Add paste and seafood base. Add flour
to make a roux. Transfer mixture to steam kettle. Cook for 20 minutes. Add shrimp
stock to roux and mix thoroughly until there are no lumps. Add salt and pepper
and crawfish tails. Taste for seasoning. Serve with white rice in center of plate,
crawfish around the rice, and a cooked whole crawfish in center of rice for garnish. Yield: 10 servings
CREOLE 6-BEAN SOUP
8 oz. black beans
8 oz. red beans
8 oz. pinto beans
8 oz. black-eyed peas
8 oz. navy beans
8 oz. green beans
1 ham hock
1/4 head celery (diced)
1/2 large onion (diced)
1/4 diced tomato
1 gallon chicken stock
1 teaspoon of Zatarain’s Cajun/ Creole Seasoning
Add all ingredients to large soup pot and cook for approximately 2 hours, until
all beans are tender. Add water as needed. Adjust seasoning before serving, the
more Zatarain’s seasoning, the spicier the soup. Yield: 7-10 servings
HOT SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP JAMBALAYA
1 1/2 pounds hot link sausage, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 cup water
4 oz diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 cups rice
1 pound shrimp
1 teaspoon salt if needed
Put sausage in large, heavy iron skillet and cook. Add onions and let cook with
sausage until onions are clear. Add parsley and garlic. Cook for a few minutes
until parsley is limp. Add water, tomatoes (mashed with spoon), thyme, and salt.
Bring to a boil. (May be prepared in advance to this point). If made in advance,
bring this mixture to a boil again. Add rice and shrimp. Bring to a boil. After
boiling, stir once and put heat on low and cover. Check mixture and lift with
a fork if it is sticking. If it looks like liquid is needed, add another 1/2 cup
of water. Yield: 10 servings
PORTABELLA MUSHROOM ENTREE
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dry basil
10 portabella mushrooms, cleaned
Combine all ingredients mixing well. Clean mushrooms by removing stern and scraping
out the inside with a spoon. Dredge each cap through the marinade then turn the
cap upside down on a sheet pan. Let stand for one hour then grill to medium rare. Tomato Topping:
5 diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons honey
shredded mozzarella
Mix all ingredients together; let stand for one hour. Top each mushroom with 2
ounces of tomato mixture, shredded mozzarella and bake for 10 minutes at 350º. Yield: 10 servings
CULINARY CRUISE NEWS
AMERICAN SAFARI CRUISES -- They have three and four-night wine cruises
scheduled in October and November. Cruises can be booked by individuals (starting
at $1,395) or by whole-boat charter. The ship cruises the Napa and Petaluma Rivers
in California with tasting at such wineries as Artesa, Chappellelt, and Bouchaine.
CRYSTAL -- In Alaska an August 1 cruise will have Udo Nechutnys, executive
chef of Jordan Winery in Sonoma, California and Dan Berger, wine columnist, on
board. Jacques Pepin, cookbook author and media personality, will be onboard in
Alaska on their August 13 cruise.
CUNARD -- Julia Child will be guest chef aboard a six-day transatlantic
cruise on the QE2 departing New York on June 24. Fares begin at $2,170 per person
double occupancy including one way transatlantic airfare.
RADISSON SEVEN SEAS -- In October, the Radisson Diamond will sail from
Rome on a 19-night voyage to San Juan via Italy, France, Spain, Morocco and Portugal,
with Le Cordon Bleu cooking demonstrations on the transatlantic segment. Two-for-one
prices start at $4,095 per person. It will feature three well-known chefs from
Florida restaurants: Chef Allen Susser of Chef Allen's Restaurant and Paramount
Grill in Aventura; Chef Cindy Hutson of Ortanique on the Mile in Coral Gables,
and Chef Robbin Haas of Baleen at Grove Isle in Coconut Grove. Each chef will
prepare a special dinner menu during the cruise featuring some of his or her signature
dishes will hold cooking demonstrations. Lyn Farmer, morning host of WTMI (93.1
FM) radio, will be a guest lecturer and Master of Ceremonies for the chefs. A
seven-day "Great Chefs at Sea" on the Seven Seas Mariner will sail from Fort Lauderdale
on December 2 to the Bahamas, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Key West.
On Oct. 14 the Seven Seas Navigator will cruise from Rome to Nice with wine seminars
by Catherine Fallis, only the fifth woman in the world to have earned the title
of Master Sommelier.
In the South Pacific the Paul Gauguin will have Greg Fowler of Seagram Chateau
& Estate Wines as host of wine seminars on an Aug. 4 cruise. Host on the Oct.
27 cruise will be David Berkley, former White House wine consultant.
WINDSTAR -- On Nov. 10 the Wind Spirit will go from Monte Carlo to Lisbon
on an eight-day voyage with port stops at Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Malaga,
and Marbella, Spain; and Tangier, Morocco. "Cook It Light" syndicated columnist
and Windstar's light/vegetarian cuisine creator, Jeanne Jones will host and lead
cooking classes.
WINE RIVER CRUISES IN EUROPE -- Wine cruises on the Princesse de Provence
on the Rhône and Saône rivers will be held by Peter Deilmann River Cruises in
October. The Provence goes roundtrip from Lyon, sailing north to Chalon-sur-Saône
and then south on the Rhône to Roman Vienne, Mâcon, Avignon, and Arles in Provence.
OTHER CULINARY CRUSES
Mediterranean-------------12-night Celebrity Millennium starting September 4
Alaska---------------------- 7-night Celebrity Infinity starting September 7
Alaska---------------------- 7-night Norwegian Sea starting August 19
New England/Canada----12-Night Norwegian Sun starting October 10
Mississippi River ---------Feb. 25, March 4, on the American Queen
If you want to go on any of these cruises, hit Reply and tell us what you want.