What’s the one thing you can’t run out of on an expedition cruise? Scenic chef tells…the answer will surprise you

  • Australian cruisers don’t take kindly if an expedition cruise runs out of Vegemite.
  • Surreal experience to walk on the ice with penguins and then have a barbeque lunch on deck in Antarctica.
  • How chefs carefully plan what meat, seafood, fruits and vegetables to buy for an expedition cruise.

It was the moment Scenic chef Tom Goetter, Vice President Culinary and Hotel Operations, discovered the one thing Australians can’t be without.

He had prepared the stores and provisions on the discovery yacht Scenic Eclipse meticulously. But he had not ordered enough of one essential item. Vegemite.

“So I tried to make my own version,” he confided to Cruise Passenger on a recent visit to Sydney. Big mistake.

 “It tasted different and looked different. The consistency was fine, it looked like this black disgusting, salty paste. So I made a few different versions Technically, I used the same technique except for the beer bit but the Aussie guests gave me a lot of s–t. But at the end of the day, Australian guests really appreciated the effort.”

These are just some of the perils of being the chief chef onboard Scenic two expedition ships, Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II.

The key ingredient for any successful chef on an expedition cruise is to be flexible. The second is to plan ahead at least six to eight months in advance.

Coming home: Scenic to cruise in Australian waters for the first time
Icebergs and mountains surround Scenic Eclipse ships in Antarctica

“Antarctica is especially difficult because it’s at the end of the world. It’s not like when you’re in Italy and you can say, ‘I don’t like my parsley, I’m just going to go out and buy some’. There’s only penguins and ice. So, I need to be extremely organised and really accurate with my orders. But I also have to be extremely flexible because it doesn’t matter how organised I am, there’s a very high chance I won’t get everything I asked for.”

He says that you have to calculate the weight, size and shelf life of every food product – from fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood.

“Even the choice of toilet rolls, whether they are sustainably made, will make a difference to the cruise.

His job is now more focused on culinary direction and tasting. The culinary team works 24 hours a day – everybody has at least 10-15 side jobs – every single day is different.

Scenic chef and VP Culinary & Hotel Operations, Tom Goetter and his team
Chef Tom Goetter and his Scenic culinary team

He has just returned from visiting eastern Antarctica, a 23-day voyage where guests spent Christmas Day on the ice surrounded by penguins and returned to the ship for a barbeque lunch on the deck.

“It was really quite surreal, watching the guests walk on the ice surrounded by penguins and then return to the ship for a Christmas barbeque – that’s why I love working on Scenic Eclipse expedition ships.”

Scenic expeditions are all about six-star luxury where guests expect to eat and drink well, pamper themselves at the spa and experience unbelievable adventures in the Antarctica or Arctic.

He is passionate about street food and the herb garden which he introduced on Scenic ships.

“Scenic is the only cruise ship in the world that provides its own micro herbs.

We heavily involve local producers and try to pick up as much in port as we can. When we passed by South America recently, we picked up 150kg of tonka beans to make our own chocolate. Every single time you have a guest taste fresh chocolate for the first time, without all the sugar and fat inside, it is an absolute game changer,” he says.

He was recently in Tasmania where he tasted some of the best green-lipped mussels which he will introduce on the menu onboard Scenic adventure ships.

Scenic Eclipse ships features two helicopters and a custom-designed submersible. It accommodates 228 guests in 114 suites and has 10 dining venues, eight bars and lounges.

Here is one of Goetter’s favourite recipes:

BEER PRAWNS

I would like to say Beer Prawns are unique, a bit crazy, and for sure a “must taste!”

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4 TO 6 PEOPLE)
Main
1.2 Kg Prawns (bigger as better)
2 pieces Bay Leave
10 gr Pepper Corn
3 L Lager beer as darker as stronger the flavor
1 Kg Fennel (try to get fennel with fennel green on)
150 gr Caraway Seeds
30 gr Kosher salt
1 Orange
50ml Honey

HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. This dish does not need too much attention to detail but very much focused on timing. First, add
    the beer and all spices into a pot and bring it as slowly as possible to simmer
  2. Cut the fennel into rough cubes as well as the orange and add into the pot. It’s important at all times
    that the pot becomes heated as slowly as possible at this stage.
  3. I would recommend not to clean the prawns, keep the prawns whole as much more flavor goes into the dish!
  4. Bring the pot to a boil and add the prawns and the honey.
  5. Bring the pot only once to boil with the prawns inside and remove the pot right after.
  6. Allow the pot to cool down to room temperature and try to seal the pot as well as you can
    with plastic or a lid.
  7. During this process, the prawns release a lot of flavor and start to ferment in a very gentle way
    for a few hours.
  8. When the stock is cold remove the prawns and strain the whole liquid.
  9. The liquid has a brown color and smells very intense now. Perfect!
  10. Add some of the stock with the prawns into a pot and reheat to hot. The prawns are supposed
    to be covered in liquid. When the stock is hot add some cold butter cubes and keep moving the
    pot away from the heat till the butter is melted.
  11. Serve directly with a spoon and some roast bread enjoy broth the prawns and the bread
    together with a beer.

Recipe for Roast Bread

HOW TO MAKE ROAST BREAD

  1. Use any bread you like, can be anything but I would recommend some dark nutty bread since the liquid is very strong
  2. Freeze the bread till completely frozen
  3. Cut bread as fine as possible, the ideal is to use a bread slicer or meat slicer
  4. Marinate only with salt and olive oil and let them become colored and dry in the oven by approx. 140 degree.
    This will take approx. 40 min but the bread has enough time to release all moisture and become evenly
    colored.

Scenic Eclipse II is currently on an expedition cruise to East Antarctica and the Ross Sea. She returns to Australia in April. She will cruise in Asia for a few months before heading to the Kimberley in August.

Scenic Eclipse is cruising in Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. She will sail in the Mediterranean in May/June before heading to Scandinavia and the Arctic in July, August and September.

For more information click here.