It's easy to cook when surrounded by the wonders of the modern kitchen, with well supplied stores across the street, and a library full of your favourite cookbooks in the next room. However, what can one do in a kitchen squeezed under a boat deck, surrounded by miles of open sea, with recipes stored only by memory? These are the conditions under which Zlatko Gall, Croatian journalist, rock critic and gourmand, excels.

Building on the success of his book “Savour the Flavour and Sound of Dalmatia”, Gall is releasing a new collection of recipes in a book called “The Marine Cookbook”. “The Marine Cookbook” will be available just in time for the start of the Croatian sailing season, and will be translated into English and Italian to enable tourists to gain a deeper insight into life on the Adriatic coast.

Every meal described in “The Marine Cookbook” is a result of Gall’s own experiences of sailing and cooking. He wanted to show that it is possible to enjoy quality food even in spartan conditions on boats. Gall's book is aimed at those who prefer spending the night in some deserted bay on one of the magical Adriatic islands, rather than sipping cocktails in jet-set bars.

Gall says “maybe I tried to achieve the impossible; to share all my gastronomical experiences with both modest sea-goers in tiny boats, and those who can afford to enjoy the sea by renting a 40-foot sailing yacht”. Enjoyment is central to Gall’s philosophy in writing the "Marine Cookbook", and it requires no luxury.

Gall explains “if there is a can of pâté, a fresh tomato or a piece of mature cheese, you can start a round-the-world trip, because in every bay, on every anchoring site you can find whatever you need for a feast.”

And indeed you can. The Adriatic Sea is an inexhaustible source of all kinds of gastronomical delights. Gall concludes that with some salt, dried chili peppers, olive oil, good vinegar, garlic, onion, a few stalks of parsley and celery, canned tomatoes, flour, and if possible small pots with planted basil or rosemary you can make a feast fit for a king. Fill the kitchen cabinet with some rice, potatoes and pasta, and that's it, especially for those skilled with a fishing hook or harpoon. Of course, sufficient amounts of wine are required. As people of Dalmatia like to say, “fish swim first in sea, then in olive oil, and finally in wine”.

According to Gall, “The small fish, which can be easily found while anchored in any bay can be made into excellent fish soup. Limpets can lead to first-class stew or risotto. Mussels are good for almost anything, and it's not a joke that even sea rocks can be cooked into a soup.”

This ethos is central to Gall’s book. It starts with recipes for mortadella cubes, or liver pâté with salted tomatoes, which might put off ambitious cooks who have never set foot on a boat. But those who are more familiar with the sea understand that it really can be so simple, and Gall’s recipes demonstrate the unimaginable variety and potential of seafood.

 

MUSSELS WITH BEANS AND RICE

2 kg of mussels
2 large onions
2 carrots
8 cloves of garlic
2 cans of brown beans (half a kilo)
1 teaspoon of curcuma or ginger
A glass of white wine
Salt and Pepper
2 small cups of rice

In a wok or big pot, cook the mussels on a medium heat, stirring until opened. Remove the mussels from their shells and put aside. In the meantime slice the onion, carrot and garlic into small pieces. Fry them using olive oil, and after 4-5 minutes add the wine and a glass of water. When the liquid is reduced by half, add rice, curcuma, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is al dente. Add the mussels and beans, season with some more olive oil and serve warm. Can be sprinkled with some grated mature cheese.

 

SARDINES OR ANCHOVIES IN OLIVE AND CAPER SAUCE

Half a of kilo of fresh sardines or large anchovies
4-5 cloves of garlic
A dozen green olives, pitted
Half a spoon of pickled capers
Half glass of olive oil
A glass of dry white wine
2-3 spoons of desert wine or a teaspoon of honey
A spoon of vinegar (ideally balsamic)
Salt and pepper

Clean the sardines and remove the heads and intestines. Remove the scales by rubbing each fish with paper towels from tail to head, under water. Put the fish in cold, salted water, ideally in a deep pan or wok. When the water boils remove the fish and put them on a deep plate. Add salt and pepper, then add a few drops of olive oil. Use the rest of the oil to fry the onion, together with the minced olives and capers. When the onion turns yellow, add the wine. Add the desert wine or honey, and the vinegar. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Cover the sardines with warm sauce, and eat it right away, or later cold.