My mom’s brothers ran fishing boats out of Ketchikan, Alaska, in the 20th century. I have an old seafood cookbook published by a fishing organization in Kodiak, Alaska and purchased at Wodlinger Drug Store (not by me). Kodiak is part of the Westward fishery while Ketchikan is part of the Southeast fishery, so they were rival tribes in rival territories. Shhh — don’t tell the family I have a galley cookbook from the competition!
Throughout the book are bits of seagoing lore, selections from which I’ve included here. The recipes are credited not to a cook, but the name of the fishing vessel.
“There are old fishermen, and there are bold fishermen; but there are no old, bold fishermen.”
”Wind from the northeast, expect a three-day nor’easter: when it comes from the southeast, expect rain: from the northwest, it brings clear weather.”
In the off season, my uncles would drive down the coast with a case of their own canned smoked salmon to distribute among relatives in the lower 48. The cans were oily and had no labels, transported in a greasy cardboard box, but the hearty, smoked fish inside was absolutely *chef’s kiss* melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
“Seven eating together on ship brings good luck to all.”
“Never bring green on a boat. Never paint a boat green — it makes the boat want to seek the land.”
One of the brothers eventually left the Ketchikan group to work the Pacific by himself. Sometimes he took on a second crew member, but they never got along, and he would kick them off at a port of call and resume his voyage alone. Everyone in the family knew that eventually he would not return from one of these trips and no one would ever know what happened to him. Everyone was wrong.
He did return, with stories of solo travels as far as the Polynesian islands to the eastern coast of Asia and back again. He said a one or two-man boat is better off within a one-day distance of land than mid-ocean, even if that land belongs to Russia or Japan. You can’t mess around with those big Pacific storms in a small vessel. He didn’t pay much attention to boundary waters or regulations and had some exciting run-ins along the way. With an impermeable language barrier, the coastal patrols mostly considered him a crazy man and let him go. Months of uncut hair and beard might have had something to do with that impression. He told us his first stop in port was always a barber shop.
He said pirates were a lot more dangerous than the coastal patrols. He worried that when they found he didn’t have anything worth stealing, they would kill him just for spite. He said he always stocked up on bottles of whiskey and rum to have on hand for encounters of the unwanted kind. He credited a great deal of good luck that the patrol boat crews and pirates were more than happy to accept a bottle or two and let him go. His tales of adventure were thoroughly entertaining and embellishments grew with the telling. He sold the boat when he knew he was getting too old and left the family with the request that his ashes be scattered in the Pacific Ocean when he passed.
“Many fishermen believe it is good luck to throw the first fish of the season back into the sea.”
“Aleut superstition would not let them rebuild a boat that had been sunk — they would burn it.”
When I sat down with that old seafood cookbook, I expected to see fancy ways to cook fish. I was wrong. I learned that fishermen cook fish much the same way ranchers cook beef. Not fancy, but utilitarian and delicious from the absolute freshness and quality of the ingredients. People who need to spend their time getting the daily work done cook their food simply and without a lot of fuss. Galley cooks cannot run to a store for fresh ingredients when they are months out at sea.
“When hanging cups in the galley, always turn the cup bottoms to the wall, so the cups can catch good luck.”
”A man who goes to sea without a reason would go to hell for a holiday.”
Recipes in the book are quite brief, leaving much to the cook’s interpretation, so I wrote down some details (such as times and estimated measurements) and adjusted some ingredients. Seal oil and powdered/canned milk are a hard “no”. I do not know how a high or low beam setting on a galley stove translates to a home kitchen stove and I’m at Colorado altitude instead of sea level. So the following are my home kitchen versions of the fishing boat galley recipes.
Fish and Potatoes
This one is our favorite so far.
- 6 large potatoes, peeled and parboiled, not too soft, slice while still firm.
- 2 large onions, peeled and sliced. Half rings are good, make them nice and thick.
- 1 2-4 lb. side of whole fish, skinned and boned. (Or equivalent in frozen fillets, do not use breaded)
- Worcestershire sauce
- juice from 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- sour cream
If using a side of whole fish, carefully make sure all the small bones are removed. Grease bottom and sides of deep baking dish. Layer half of sliced potatoes and half of onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer fish side or fillets, sprinkle fish with lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Layer with remaining onions, then the rest of potatoes. Salt and pepper again and then sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. Place lid on baking dish or cover tightly with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 50 min. to 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven & let stand 10 min. before serving. Serve with sour cream. -adapted from original recipe of Motorized Vessel Anna J
“Never take an umbrella aboard ship - it brings rain, fog and gales.”
”When a woman other than the woman the boat was named after goes on board, the boat becomes jealous.”
Salmon Romanoff
This recipe claims to be the best one in the entire book. Apparently the publisher of the book thought so. Fish were canned at the canneries located near the fishing harbors. One pound cans were the norm. I’ve added the option of using grocery store sized 6 ½ ounce cans.
- 8 oz. dry medium noodles, cooked and drained
- 1-1/2 c. creamed cottage cheese
- 1-1/2 c. sour cream
- 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced, or equivalent amount of granulated or dried garlic.
- 1 - 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or more if you like
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- dash of your favorite hot sauce, cayenne or red pepper flakes (use sparingly until you’ve tried it a time or two and know how much you like)
- 1 16 oz. can of salmon, drained OR 2 6-1/2 oz cans salmon or tuna, drained and flaked
- 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Mix all ingredients except cheese. Place into greased casserole dish, sprinkle cheese on top and bake, uncovered, in 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. -adapted from original recipe of Haysel Pankey
“An upside-down hatch cover brings bad luck.”
“Bad omen if sharks follow vessel: good luck if porpoises follow.”
“Never launch a vessel on Friday; never start a new voyage on Friday.”
“Never take a black bag aboard ship.”
One Dish Seafood Salad
- 1 head lettuce, torn or sliced into bite-size pieces
- 2 c. diced, unpared raw apple
- 1 large can mandarin orange segments, drained
- 1/3 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1 can tuna or salmon, drained and chunked
- ½ c. mayonnaise or salad dressing of your choice
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
Mix together lettuce, apples, oranges, nuts and fish in large salad bowl. Mix salad dressing, soy sauce and lemon juice well and toss gently with the mixed salad. -adapted from original recipe of Motorized Vessel Mar del Norte
“To those who talk and talk and talk …
This proverb should appeal:
The steam that blows the whistle
Will never turn the wheel.”
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