Welcome to Scally’s Galley - A Q&A and a little foodie history.
The Bay of Biscay was my first voyage that made me fall in love with sailing, so I had been looking forward to crossing this gulf again for a long time now! Slipping lines from the cute French city of La Rochelle, myself, Kimi, Chuck & Cleggy headed south west for 250 nautical miles to reach the north coast of Spain, aiming our sites for the city of Gijón. The weather was perfect compared to the other time I had crossed which was ideal and it gave us all the opportunity to get familiar with the brand spanking new boat.
The Gang - Kimi, Chuck & (Chef) Cleggy
Introducing Chef Cleggy (and his Sous Chef Rosco Loco!)
On this leg of the journey we've been lucky to have Cleggy on board as he's a dab hand in the galley. He's teaching me a recipe or two, and whilst we've been cooking up a storm I've asked him about his love of food...
Cleggy, where did you learn to cook?
I had an interest in cooking from an early age and even attempted my own recipe book when I was a toddler, although I was pretty clueless then and my taste buds would accept anything, chocolate and apple crumble comes to mind! I learned to cook once my mum went to work after being a stay at home mum. I must have been around 8. The alternative was eating my dad's gruel and overcooked broccoli in the evenings. My mum was an excellent cook so I am lucky to have observed her over the years and it provided a good base to start from.
What would you cook for your mum?
If I had to cook for my mum, it'd probably be sea food. She loves eating it but doesn't often cook it herself. I love scuba diving around the UK so will sometimes dive for scallops, crabs and lobsters before visiting my parents and cook them something special!
Is there any food you don’t like?
I'm not a fussy eater and would try anything. That said if things are too sweet or extremely bland, I'm not a fan.
Most memorable meal and why?
My most memorable meal was in Afghanistan. After living on ration packs for months, out of nowhere one day we had a giant fresh steak joint flown in to us as part of a general resupply. We traded biscuits with the locals for potatoes and oil and had a well needed meal of steak and chips.
How is Scally’s cooking coming along!?
Scally's kitchen has progressed leaps and bounds since the start of the trip. Ross has learned a variety of foreign cuisines, baking and more. He often brings his alter ego Rosco Loco to the kitchen when cooking up a fiery dish!
Thanks Cleggy!
Overall I think our culinary exploits have been a success. And now Will has joined the crew we have plenty of cooks in the galley!
Space and supplies may be limited, but we fare a lot better than sailors before us... In 1677, Samuel Pepys, the Secretary to the Admiralty, copied into his Naval Precedents a contract he established with victuallers to the Navy. This document established predetermined rations for each sailor, which included one pound of biscuits and a gallon of beer each day and four pounds of beef, two pounds of salted pork, three eights of a twenty-four-inch cod, two pints of peas, six ounces of butter, and between eight and twelve ounces of cheese each week!
Keep your eyes peeled, we've got some great recipes to share with you soon!
