This is not a story about the Love Boat... but it could be! If only we had left the port behind... one never knows!
This is not a story about the Nautillus... I didn't meet a mysterious Captain Nemo... just a blue eyed young Captain!
This is my story about how I ended up in a Luxury Boat teaching how to make Spanish Paella and some Garlicky Snails to the Yacht's Chef!!! Want to know all about it?
A month ago, Victoria, my personal Fairy Godmother ;D, got in touch with me through my blog to know if I would agree on teaching her my tricks and tips about Paella. Who says no to Fairies? I said yes of course! I got sooooooo excited with the project :D!!!!! We chose a day and we thought it would be great to cook some garlicky snails and a Paella for 8 people... the Yacht crew. Victoria Allman is the Cocoa Bean's Chef and she also runs a blog: Following my stomach, please pay her a visit, she's got such an exciting life and recipes from around the world :D.
So, we went to la Boqueria and bought some fresh fish, seafood, veggies and rice and drove our way to Barcelona's Harbour (take a look at the video).
The Yacht is so impressive and beautiful. It's a 43 meters Boat with capability for 9 Crew and 12 Guests. The kitchen is not called a kitchen, it's a galley! I love learning new things :D. And it has 2 ovens, 6 stove tops, 3 huge fridges and 2 freezers!!!! Once it has all provisions on board it can be autonomous for one week. The Yacht also owns a power generator and a water maker.
Victoria is in charge of all menus: breakfast, lunch and dinner; the provisioning; baking the bread; desserts... She does a fantastic job in her tidy galley and has the best windows' views ever!
The paella came out beautifully and the Crew was delighted with this typical Spanish dish! I followed my Seafood Paella recipe and also made the Garlicky Snails as a starter. Follow the links to get detailed recipes with pictures.
If you want to try it yourself and buy the traditional paella pan, find it at La Tienda. Click on it!
It felt great to share experiences in the Boat's galley with Victoria. Please check her blog and meet the sweetest Chef on Board ;D. Thank you Victoria!!!! She is posting a twin post tomorrow... don't miss it :D.
The music of the video belongs to Estopa and it's a Catalan Rumba. You can get their music at Itunes :D
Tony Tahhan from 
Peel, cut and boil the potaotes at medium heat or fry them at medium low heat. The last 5 minutes fry them at high heat. Prepare a sauce with: 6 table spoons of olive oil, 1 tomatoe sauce can (200-250 grs.) 2 or 3 cayene red hot small dry peppers, 2 garlic cloves, salt and black ground pepper.
Peel the fresh shrimps (500 grs), leave the tails on. Prepare the coating in a bowl: 1 egg's white, 150 grs of flour, 1 table spoon of vinegar, 1 cup of water, olive oil and salt.
Cut the rice morcilla and peel. Place in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil. Cook for a few seconds each side. Place over some toasted bread. Fry a Quail's egg and place on top. Sprinkle with thick sea salt.
Clean and cut the mushrooms. Dry them. Prepare a frying pan with a bit of olive oil, fry them at medium heat until they become golden. Add some chopped garlic and stir until fragant, add the chopped parsley and stir for a few more seconds. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
Get a deep big pot ready with salty water. Bring to boil and add a bay leave. Pour the fresh sea snails in. Cook for only 5 to 8 minutes. Strain. Let cool down and serve. A green sauce would pair perfectly here, or some allioli... or maybe you just want to feel the plain sea in your mouth.
Clean and steam the mussels. Prepare a sauce with your favourite veggies and get the steamed mussels in. Stir for some minutes. Add salt and serve.
