Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - January 2018

Castaway Casseroles
use Almost Anything
I was hard pressed to come up with a dinner dish this afternoon. My wife, Willa,
said, “Why not use leftovers
from last night?” We conscientiously
do not cast away
leftover food, no matter how
small, from one meal to the
next. A quick trip below deck
and on checking the icebox I
found a plate with a small
amount of roast beef from last
night’s supper. It wasn’t
enough for both of us but a
little imagination resulted in
a Castaway Casserole we
found extremely satisfying.
An onion from the vegetable
locker and four medium potatoes
plus a few leftover peas
and carrots, also in the icebox,
had me quite excited (at my
age, it doesn’t take much).
The neat thing about
Castaway Casseroles is that
BY ROSS MAVIS
almost any leftover meat — beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and even fish — can be the basis
for these easy and succulent meals. If the meat is in a large piece, simply cut it into
small pieces, or it may already be ground, like hamburger. Finely dice an onion and
lightly brown it in oil in a hot frying pan. Add the chopped meat and cook slightly to
incorporate meat and onion. Peel the potatoes and cook them in salted water until
ready for draining and mashing.
If you have any gravy left over from last night’s dinner, add it to the onions and the
meat and sauté nicely. At this point, if the mixture is too watery, a small sprinkle of
flour cooked into the mixture works well to thicken the base for gravy.
In a lightly greased glass casserole dish, spread the meat and onion mixture to
form a base. On top of this, add the leftover vegetables; in my case, it was peas and
carrots. Then, when the potatoes are cooked and mashed, spread them on top of the
vegetables and dot with butter and cheese.
A sprinkle of paprika and 10 or 15 minutes in a hot oven will brown the potatoes
and melt the cheese. Let stand for a few minutes and serve on plates with pickle,
chutney or ketchup. Add a few tomato or cucumber slices for garnish.
Zounds, now this is what banquets often lack. Sumptuous simplicity!
As I mentioned, leftover fish or chicken can be served in the same fashion. A white
sauce with butter, flour, milk, salt and pepper plus a sprinkle of parsley, thyme or
seasoning of your choice, works well instead of gravy. Almost any vegetable, plus
either rice or potatoes for the top, completes another Castaway Casserole. You are
limited only by your imagination.
Come to DOOmuch or DOOlittle?
SAINT LUCIA‘S MOST PICTURESQUE WATERFRONT ALFRESCO DINING
IN BEAUTIFUL MARIGOT BAY
Exclusive to the island, enjoy one of several SteakStone menu options!
Open from 8am - midnight daily
Complimentary 3-course meal for the Captain with parties of 6 or more
Plenty of moorings and large dinghy dock for easy access to the restaurant + bar
3 billiard tables complimentary to patrons of Doolittle‘s
Happy hour daily from 5-7pm and 10-11pm
Light provisioning available including ice
Phone: (758) 451-4974 VHF Radio Channel 16 Free Wi-Fi
JANUARY 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 39
COMPASS
CARTOONS
Castaway Casserole from Beef
BASE
1 Tablespoon olive oil or bacon fat
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 Cups chopped cooked roast beef
1/2 Cup beef gravy or stock
1/4 Cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
SECOND LAYER
2 Cups cooked vegetables (peas, carrots, corn or mixed)
TOP LAYER
3 Cups mashed potato
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 Cup grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
METHOD
In a frying pan over medium high heat, add oil or fat. Dice onion and add to frying
pan. Cover until onion is limp and lightly browned. Add chopped beef and stir while
mixture simmers. Add gravy if available and thicken if necessary with flour and season
with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile prepare a small heatproof casserole, about 5 inches by 9 inches.
Spread meat, onion and gravy mixture on bottom of casserole dish. Then spread
cooked vegetables on top of the meat layer. On top of the vegetables, add mashed potatoes
and dot with butter and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with paprika and bake in a hot
oven until nicely browned on top. Serve in squares with tomato or cucumber slices.
MARTY BUCELLA