A TRUE SAILOR’S LUNCH
flocks of little terns and ospreys on the nearby nature reserve, and while some may harbour Hitchcockian visions of them swooping towards the food, the Sims are unfazed. It’s seagulls you have to watch out for. To ward them off, Fiona has suggestions: one is to hang CDs from the rigging (the choice of artist is up to you); another is to throw crumbs as far away from the boat as you can. It’s then that things start to get a bit Enid Blyton. The plan is to go ashore by dinghy for the main course. It takes several splish-splashy trips to take everyone to dry land, and by the time we are all there, the wind has picked up. The taper for the barbecue refuses to light. Paul wades into the water and drags the dinghy to our picnic spot, propping it up on its side to shelter it from the wind. When the charcoal finally takes, it is left to Fiona to hover over it, encouraging the air to circulate with a foot pump. The actual cooking is more straightforward. Fiona puts the patties on the barbecue, heats the pitta bread, opens a tub of hummus and a bag of salad leaves, and, well, that’s it. I am sure it shouldn’t be this simple. The burgers are moist; the pitta bread is crisp; the hummus is lovely and garlicky. The most adventurous ingredient is the late addition of sea beet, or sea spinach, which Fiona finds growing nearby. She put it on the barbecue for a few seconds, waits for it to crisp and we nibble it with the wine (a gamay from Beaujolais producer Marcel Lapierre, available in bottles with boatfriendly screw caps). It’s back to the harbour for dessert, where we collect Fiona’s seven-year-old niece, Esther. Again, much of this dish, oranges with pistachios and mascarpone, has been put together before setting off. Preparation on land is sensible with this recipe, as the oranges must be peeled and the marmalade and citrus combination can get sticky. The trickiest part is layering the mascarpone and orange mixtures without smearing the rim of the glasses – or, in this case, the plastic cups, which are easier to stack. It has a creamy texture and sharp kick. No doubt, anyone with a superyacht has their own chef – or chefs – but do they know how simple and rewarding it can be to cook your own meals? Even Fiona’s father has now been known to make “a mean lamb and artichoke tagine”. Though perhaps anything’s better than a packet of beef stew and powdered mash. ‘ The Boat Cookbook’ by Fiona Sims (Bloomsbury, RRP £16.99) is available to order from Telegraph Books at £14.99 + £1.35 p&p. Call 0844 871 1514 or visit books. telegraph.co.uk This storage container with a compartment for water keeps herbs fresh for up to two weeks in a fridge or for a few days in a cool box. £14.99, on sale at £11.99 (whiskcooking. co.uk) Saves time and fuel, and should let you cook in rough seas without completely ruining the carpet. It will also double up as a pasta pan or deep saucepan £104.99 (lakeland.co.uk)