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CAN-DO CHEF By: Marty Martindale |
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Not quite like Ernest Hemingway’s moveable feasts, this feast this day, did prove moveable, not once, but twice! It was a Wednesday in the Windward islands, just off of St. Lucia, and the day sheet for the Windstar’s largest sailing cruise ship, WindSurf, read, “BBQ Lunch, 12:30 on – 2:00 pm on the beach, ashore.” “Ashore” was Pigeon National Park, a little 40-acre island connected by a causeway to St. Lucia's west coast. The island figured prominently in the area’s defense. It is now a beautiful nature park, and the location of St. Lucia’s famed, annual jazz festival. The menu for the BBQ read:
BBQ
Chicken and BBQ ribs The WindSurf’s Executive Chef Erwin explained, “We start in the galley around five o’clock in the morning, because we need to be ready early. All of the food is loaded from the aft, through the marina, because the tenders are for passengers.” WindSurf’s, marina is closed while in port, and is a storage point for idle water skis, kayaks, banana boats and diving gear. At approximately 8:15, over the ship’s infrequently used speaker system, kindly, Dutch Captain Jan Ove Lidal announced, “The weather is not going cooperate with us today. We’ll stay on board and have our picnic here.” This meant Executive Chef Erwin Unterberger and his galley crew had to reverse everything they’d done so far. Then about 9:40 that morning the Captain returned to say the weather seemed far more promising than earlier. “We will picnic on shore.” A herculean task, the once-reversed preparations had to be reversed again. This meant all the pre-barbecue prepared meats and fish, skewers, mustards, steak sauces, the blanched lobsters, homemade tomato salsa, parsley, lemon vinaigrette, drawn butter, lemons, bell peppers, mango chutney, sandwich buns, coleslaw, potato salads, three-bean salads, tabouleh, pasta salad, shucked corn, partially-baked potatoes and vegetable fried rice had to be shifted once more. It was all heading back once more to the beach. Nearer eating time, the crew had brought tables and supplies over to the park. This was in addition to large carriers for all the dishes, sauces for each, breads, beverages, not to mention every last ketchup bottle, onion slice, fork, spoon, napkin, plate and serving piece. No slight turn of hand. It was a sit-down affair, a cash bar, drinking water and ice tea were in place. Austrian-born “Chef Erwin” avoids dry, salty lobster meat by blanching his Caribbean spiney lobsters. “We take the lobsters slightly out of their shells. I always like to blanche them very, very briefly, he says. “We then season them, and this way the flavorings become infused better.” He praises his crew constantly. Chef recalls, “We had a steel band playing there, and it was a really nice setting.” Steiner’s Spa associates made massages available under the palms, while the ship’s marina brought over kayaks and snorkel gear. Some relaxed, others frolicked; everyone feasted. Despite all this picnic preparations, the daily luncheon went on aboard ship, as usual. On all days the two-level WindSurf galley earns great praise. Part of it is the vast pride in the ship’s bakery, commencing with morning pastries, right through to fancy dinner roll selections and lavish desserts both with sugar and without. The kitchen displayed a proven concern for a passenger with both dairy and gluten intolerance, even to the point where they baked special loafs of bread for her. She remained well throughout the trip. Chef frequently creates new menus based on the best available fruits and vegetables. “I try to purchase locally. We want it to be the freshest we can get.” A case in point was his colorful weekday luncheon Ceviche Station. “We had the fresh scallops, fresh shrimp, octopus, some mahi-mahi, and we cube it. Then we use only fresh lemon and line for marinating. It’s freshly prepared at the station. Then the guests can direct the omission of hot peppers, maybe the onion, it’s their choice.” A thorough-going host, Chef Erwin tends to smile each time he speaks. He is very food-confident. ”I also have a very talented crew working with me,” he’s quick to say. For simplicity’s sake Chef Erwin L. Unterberger usually introduces himself as “Chef Erwin.” “I am from Austria, and I attended a sports high school, one with an emphasis on swimming and snow skiing. Then, at fifteen, I decided I was going to be a chef. There are a couple of ways to do this, either through an apprenticeship or a hotel school. We had plenty of good spas in my area, a lot of hot springs, and I was lucky enough to secure an apprenticeship at the Kur Hotel, a nice spa hotel, in the old Emperor town very close to Salzberg,” he explains. “It was a perfect fit.” Chef Erwin has served as Sous Chef or Executive Chef on Royal Viking, Song of Flower, Crystal Harmony, Celebrity, Carnival, Saga Cruises, Silversea, at several resorts in Austria and at Sun International in South Africa. He speaks four languages, and when he can slip away from his galley, he’s apt to take advantage of his Certified Padi Diving license.
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