12th December 08

All hard workers need feeding well and it’s no different aboard the Antarctic Chieftain. Mike is our cook and he’s been doing it for years, preparing three hot meals a day for 22 hungry crew, the first at 04:00hrs, another at noon then dinner at 20:00hrs. Variety is the key after 4 months at sea and Mike is king at that. He prides himself in his ability to create something different every day. From Lamb racks and Beef Wellington to Bacon & Egg Pie, fancy Spaghetti dishes, not to forget the Toothfish. Most chefs would scrub pots for a week to have the chance to experiment as Mike does, with one of the World’s most sought after fish, which is usually destined for top class restaurants.

Mike cooking toothfish - you have to taste it to understand!

Ordering provisions for the trip is not as straight forward as it may seem, but when the company you work for recognises the need for some luxuries on a long voyage like this, the job is made a little easier.

Some of the quantities Mike has to consider are:

·       300 dozen Eggs
·       200kg Bacon
·       60kg Fillet steak
·       40kg Sirloin steak
·       ½ ton Potatoes
·       120kg Hash browns
·        35 x 500g Coffee
·        1,800 cartons ling life milk

By the end of a long trip, if he’s got it all wrong, and we’re running out of the basics, I’m sure the boys will let him know. That is usually incentive enough to get it right from the start.

Rgds: John B.

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Tags: toothfish