If you flip through a Williams-Sonoma catalogue, you’llsee there is gadget for every galley task and every recipeworldwide. With the owner’s credit card at his or her disposal, a yacht chef couldfill cupboard after cupboard with one-use devices such as hamburger shapers,peach pitters and bagel slicers – because we all know how hard it is to cut abagel.
However, yacht galleys tend to be anything but spacious.Even with an unlimited budget, it makes more sense for a yacht chef to find afew versatile gadgets that they cannot live without.
It goes without saying that every galley needs a good setof chef’s knives. I personally bring my own trusted set of Global knives toeach boat to guarantee the right, sharp knife for each task, but past thebasics of sharp knives and quality pots and pans, what else does a galleyneed?
Quick to list some favorite pieces of equipment were Kermit Crew and Derek Alleman with theprovisions department at National Marine, who selland ship their favorite items and more to yacht chefs worldwide. Alleman suggested color-coded cuttingboards, Crew said induction pans are a must and they both agreed on thepaco-jet as a galley necessity.
It was obvious that they could fill cupboards galore withtheir dream lists, but this is the list they compiled when narrowing down their top five requests from chefs onyachts.
1. KitchenAid Professional 600-Series Mixer
Equipped with a high-performance, professional-levelmotor, the Professional 600 Series mixer can effectively mix up to 14 cups ofall-purpose flour per batch. It powerfully churns through yeast bread dough andtriple batches of cookie dough.
I use this powerful machine for morning bread baking,quickly followed by whipping up a fruit mousse for lunch, cookie batters,mixing hamburger ingredients, making pasta and paddling choux paste for horsd’oeuvres.
2. Vita-Mix Vita-Prep Bar Blender
Variable speed control allows you to chop, grind or blenddifferent ingredients. With 48-ounce (1.5-liter) capacity and a highimpact clear container with wet blade, chefs can concoct everything from smoothiesand vinaigrettes to soups and sauces to afternoon cocktails. A good blender canbe a chef’s best friend.
3. Dynamic USA Bermixer
The Dynamic USA Bermixier boasts unsurpassed power,performance and versatility for efficient blending with multiple speeds and apowerful motor. This portable, lightweight hand mixer (immersion blender)is so easy to use and clean, it will get you out of the galley faster than youever thought possible. Use it to puree soups, smooth sauces, make dressings andmince meats.
4. Edlund Digital Scale
Precise weighing can turn a cake or baked treat from a flop into sweet dream. The Edlund Digital Scale ensures no one feelsslighted when the steak on his or her neighbor’s plate seems a bit larger. Aproper scale can make all of your buns uniform size and guarantee theappropriate salt content of the brine for pork.
5. Polder Probe Thermometer, Timer and Clock
Without a brigade of line cooks as back up, chefs can geta little busy at service time. It is easy to get caught up in plating anintricate appetizer and forget about the rare veal tenderloin roastingin the oven. A probe thermometer with a buzzer will alert you when the food hasreached the precise temperature required. The result: perfection every time.
No matter how big or small your galley, the number oneessential galley gadget to get you through the day, a charter – even a yearwith guests on board – is a Nespresso Espresso Maker. This yacht chef’s mottobeing: the more caffeine the better.
If you are missing any of these essentials from yourgalley, contact the provisions department at National to order and make yourtime in the galley more productive. Kcrew@nationalmarine.com;Derek@nationalmarine.com;954.764.0975