It’s been a very quiet week on the Maestro Sea 22 April 2013

It’s been a very quiet week on the Maestro Sea as we continue to head back to Europe, very little has happened and there is very little to report.

We have travelled west from Cotonou, Benin passing Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast before heading northwest past Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal and The Gambia. We then headed north along the coast of Western Sahara before turning northeast and passing between the Canary Islands and Morocco. At present we are some 50 miles off Casablanca, Morocco and heading towards Gibraltar, we should pass through Gibraltar Straits sometime on Monday afternoon.

Stores

The situation with stores gets worse; we have now run out of beer, red wine, bottled water, cigarettes, shampoo, breakfast cereal, flour, potatoes, salad and beef. It’s a pretty sorry state of affairs when a modern ship has so little in the way of reserve stores! The beer situation is causing a real issue with the crew, I’d better not say I have a case hidden in my wardrobe; I might get robbed!

Football

Bolton Wanderers continue a late charge to the Premiership; another victory over Middlesboro is their eighth consecutive home win! Well done Dougie and the team, I always said he was the right man for the job… J As I expect to be home before the 4^th May, lets hope it can be nine consecutive home wins. Sorry Dad, you’ll need to buy a ticket for that game!

The Weather

You know it’s been hot, when you look at a temperature of 30°C and think it’s a bit chilly I might need a vest! However as we have headed north, the engine temperature has decreased dramatically; those unhealthy temperatures of 52°C are long gone. Even Senegal has had some very un-seasonal cold weather, as we passed Dakar the temperature was down to 18°C. I know that might seem very hot to the residents of Bolton, but if you live in Dakar that’s freezing! However the sun is shining again and my sun lounger is calling…

Well I did say not much has happened, so that is pretty much it from Pugwash; there aren’t even any birthdays to mention (well none in my calendar); so I’ll leave you with a treat from the galley…. chicken, everybody’s favourite poultry.

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients (serving for 6): whole chicken (3 pound- cut into pieces), 1 cup all-purpose flour, salt (to taste), ground black pepper (to taste), 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 quart vegetable oil (for frying).

Method: Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and paprika and roll in flour. Now, add 1/2-3/4inch oil to a large, heavy skillet. Heat to approximately 365 degrees F; place chicken pieces in hot oil; cover, and fry until golden, turning once, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Now, serve.

Grilled chicken salad

Ingredients (serving for 6): 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, 1/2 cup pecans, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 onion (minced), 1 teaspoon ground mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, 2 heads Bibb lettuce (rinsed, dried and torn), 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries.

Method: Preheat the grill; lightly oil the grill grate; grill chicken for 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. Remove from heat, cool, and slice. Meanwhile, place pecans in a dry skillet over medium-high heat; cook pecans until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. In a blender, combine the red wine vinegar, sugar, vegetable oil, onion, mustard, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth; arrange lettuce on serving plates. Top with grilled chicken slices, strawberries, and pecans. Drizzle with the dressing to serve.

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients (serving for 6): 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken (breast meat), 1 tablespoon of dry sherry, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 eggs, 2 cups vegetable oil, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/3 cup white sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 lemon (sliced), 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Method: Combine the chicken, sherry, soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Mix together, cover and refrigerate and let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes; in a small bowl, beat together the eggs, 1/4 cup cornstarch and baking powder to form a batter. In a wok, heat 2 cups oil to 350 degrees F; coat chicken with batter and fry in wok until it becomes brown. Cut into bite size pieces and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, broth, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together and add lemon slices; heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok and slowly stir in lemon sauce mixture; cook, stirring, until sauce is clear. Now, pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Enjoy!