Something Simple

Victoria Allman has been a yacht chef for 12 years, sailing in Europe, the Caribbean, Nepal, Vietnam, Africa and the South Pacific. "Sea Fare: A Chef's Journey Across the Ocean" is her first culinary memoir. "SEAsoned: A Chef's Journey with Her Captain" is a hilarious look at the yacht chef's first year working for her husband while they cruise from the Bahamas to Italy, France, Greece and Spain. Learn more at www.victoriaallman.com.

    
Something Simple

By Victoria Allman

I'm a planner. I love to organize and write lists. The problem is, in my life as a chef on a yacht, catering to someone else's whim, I rarely can predict what will happen at any given moment. Just the other day, my whole lunch plan was thrown overboard.

"It'll just be us today," the wife told me at breakfast. "We'll go out to anchor to swim, so let's have a light lunch."

"Sushi?" I suggested.

"Perfect." She relaxed against the cushion. "Something simple. I just want to nibble today."

I was a slow roller. It would take me awhile to create enough of the tiny little bundles for four people. I checked my watch as I retreated to the galley to rinse and soak sushi rice. It was ten o'clock. That left me enough time to make spicy tuna rolls, salmon sushi and unagi.

I pulled the tuna I had bought fresh from the market that morning out of the fridge and began slicing. I was fifteen minutes into the job when my radio crackled.

"Two guests just pulled up in a Ferrari," Jeff, our first mate, said.

Brooklyn, our chief stew, entered the galley ten minutes later. "Can you add two more to the list for lunch?"

"Certainly." I returned my attention to my fingers that were struggling not to rip the fragile nori sheets while creating tight rolls. In my mind, I added miso soup to my list of things to do to round out the menu.

The radio in the corner sounded again. "The couple from the boat next door just arrived."

Brooklyn looked at me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "What's two more?" I mentally added a platter of beef tataki to the menu.

Jeff's voice filled the air again. "The brother and his wife are coming down from the villa." There was a pause. "They'll be here in ten minutes."

I bit my lip and willed my fingers to curl around the rice at a quicker pace.

The captain was the next voice on the radio. "Deck crew ready to depart."

I felt the boat pull away from the dock. I let out a breath and relaxed a moment. There would be no more guests. I could handle sushi for ten. My knife slid through the soft salmon to make clean lines.

I was about to switch to butchering the eel when more news came over the radio. "There's a speed boat full of people pulling up alongside."

I was starting to hate the sound of Jeff's voice. The forward motion of the yacht slowed to allow the additional guest to board.

"There's quite the crowd gathering," Brooklyn opened two more bottles of wine. "Are you ready for this?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"That must be it." She laughed. "How many more could show up?"

Thirty minutes later we anchored. I stepped outside the galley door to breathe in the hot humid air. I could hear the radio in the distance crackling. I took a final breath and turned to head back inside; a fleeting glance at the world around me was all I had time for.

I reached for the door latch as Jeff sprinted past me.

"Coming through." He squeezed past me.

"What's going on?" I was alarmed at the haste. Was there an emergency?

"Helicopter is landing in five minutes," he shouted over his shoulder.

 
I squinted into the distance and saw the bird-like apparition appear. Judging by the distance, I had just enough time to start threading chicken on skewers for the Yakitori I would have to include to feed the growing mob.

I, too, sprinted for the galley, kicking myself for choosing to make the intricate, time-consuming sushi for lunch. I've been a chef on yachts for twelve years. I should have known better. A simple lunch for four is NEVER a simple lunch for four.

                                            

SPICY TUNA ROLL

Sushi Rice:

2 cups sushi rice

2 1/2 cups cold water

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt 

Spicy Tuna Mixture:

 

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon wasabi

2 pounds fresh tuna, diced fine

6 sheets toasted nori

1/4 cup white sesame seeds

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Place the rice in a strainer. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear.

Drain well and let rest for 30 minutes.

 In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring rice and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until water is absorbed and rice is just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand covered 10 minutes. Transfer rice to large bowl.

Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Drizzle mixture over rice. Gently toss rice with vinegar mixture to coat. Keep tossing for 10 minutes to cool rice. Set aside.

Whisk together the mayonnaise and wasabi. Gently stir in tuna to evenly coat the fish.

  Wrap a sushi mat in plastic wrap to keep it clean. Place the mat on the counter with slats running crosswise. Arrange one sheet of nori, shiny side down, on mat, lining up a long edge of sheet with edge of mat nearest you. Using damp fingers, gently press 1/6 of rice onto nori in 1 layer, leaving a 2-inch border on side farthest from you. Press firmly so rice sticks to sheet. Sprinkle with both white and black sesame seeds.

Flip the nori and rice over so that the rice is now the bottom layer. Make a thin line of tuna along the bottom of the nori. Roll tightly, using the sushi mat to guide you. Press as tight as possible so the roll is firm.

Slice the roll with a wet knife into 6 pieces about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Makes 6 rolls.