Lunch Aboard Charter Sunreef 70 Catamaran MUSE: Chef Caro Reveals Her Champagne Jello Recipe, Perfect for Holiday Entertaining

During the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show we were invited on board MUSE for a delightful lunch prepared by Chef Caro Uy. Prior to being seated on the spacious aft deck, we toured the yacht and were impressed by the cheerful interiors and surprised by a cabin configuration that accommodates nine adults and three children.

MUSE is a spacious Sunreef 70 that features three doubles, two twins, one single and a Pullman, making it an ideal option for families with children. The yacht is very informal, not showy or ostentatious, guests can relax without worry that their young ones will endanger artwork and décor. The Owner successfully designed interiors with the charming ambience of a house in the south of France.

While the heart of MUSE is home, the soul is food. Chef Caro and her husband, Captain Jez Fletcher, are world travelers and both love to cook cuisine incorporating menus and ingredients from distant lands. Captain Jez invites guests of all ages to assist with the handmade pasta that they can hang on a rail above the galley counter.

Our lunch on the aft deck of MUSE that day started with a course of delicate prawns dusted in coconut and served on a locally grown pineapple wedge. This was followed by pork belly confit marinated overnight in a dry rub of coriander, cumin, rosemary and sea salt and slow cooked, also baked pork ribs inspired by Vietnamese cookery, finished in a Vietnamese caramel sauté with balsamic and tamarind glaze. These innovative and delicious dishes were a testimony to the creative talent that seems to come quite effortlessly to Chef Caro.

The dessert was a delightfully effervescent champagne jello, which we all decided was perfect for any final course, but particularly for the forthcoming holiday celebrations. We asked Chef Caro for the recipe, which, transcribed below, presents a very clear picture of how easy it is to do at home, as well as the endearing charm of Chef Caro.

Champagne JelloMUSE-dessert
Ingredients:
12 sheets or 2 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin
1 coffee mug water
1 coffee mug sugar
1 bottle champagne

“You start off with ½ a coffee mug of water at room temperature. I’m very low tech. Dump in either 12 sheets or two packets of unflavored gelatin and stir it through the water, this is called blooming the gelatin. You let it soak up a bit of the water so that its easier to dissolve later.

Take a small pot and pour another ½ coffee mug of water and a full mug of sugar. Warm up gently until the sugar is dissolved, kind of like bartender syrup, and pour this into the bloomed gelatin. At this stage it will look like a grainy mess. Stir it through to dissolve it nicely and just let it sit to cool. You can do this in the morning, then have a cup of coffee, or do your face, that’s what I do.

Here’s the trick; the sugar and gelatin syrup, which has been well mixed through, should be just nice and cool, not setting. It should be in a big mixing bowl because the next thing to do is get a bottle of champagne, cava or prosecco. This is really important; you resist the temptation to just down the champagne yourself. Instead you must dump the entire bottle into the bowl, a very liberating experience.

Give it a quick whisk through, pour it into a non-reactive container, plastic or good stainless, give it a quick taste, but not for the reason you think. You taste it to see if you want a little squisher of lime or lemon juice. I used a quarter spoon for brut champagne, if you’re using a demi-sec that somebody mistakenly gave you and you think, well I’ll make a bit of champagne jello, you may want to use a bigger squisher.

Pop it in the fridge for four or five hours. If you prefer you can pour it into nice little shot glasses or martini glasses and layer it with berries soaked in Cointreau. Do not use pineapple or kiwi because they have an enzyme that dissolves the protein in the gelatin, use any other fruit you please.

The trick to preserving the bubbles in the champagne is to be sure the syrup mixture is cool but not yet set. Do not put it in the refrigerator to cool because the sides of the container will start to gel to quickly. As you can see, it’s dead easy and tends to be very popular!”

Thanks so much Caro! Happy Holidays!

Click here for details and information about chartering MUSE in the Caribbean or Mediterranean.

Chef Caro Uy won third place in the Concours de Chef at the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show.

Follow this link to explore Yacht Charter in the Caribbean.

Winners of the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show: Chef’s Culinary Challenge and Table Setting Competition

The culinary challenge is a much anticipated annual event that gives charter yacht chefs the opportunity to participate in an extravaganza of epicurean artistry and splendor, and be recognized and rewarded for their extraordinary talents. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Antigua Charter Yacht Show, which served as the underlying theme for both the Concours de Chef and the Table Setting Competition.

Chefs were instructed to prepare a Caribbean Celebration Banquet pared with an alcoholic or non alcoholic drink offering. Stewards and stewardess participating in the Table Setting Contest were instructed to incorporate the number 50 and a bottle of Piper Heidsieck, a sponsor of the event, in the centerpiece arrangement of a table setting suitable for a 50th anniversary.

Prizes included magnums of Piper Heidsieck, accommodations at five star resorts, Liat airline tickets, William and Sonoma gift certificates and spa treatments.

And the winners are……

YACHTS 160ft AND OVER

1st place: Tim Macdonald, Huntress

2nd place: Heather Kaniuk, yacht Numptia

3rd place: Thomas Francque, yacht Passion

YACHTS FROM 101 TO 159 FT
1st place: Emma Beckett, Lady J

2nd place: Gabrielle Scott, Va Bene

3rd place: Jerry Bond,  Arioso

YACHTS UNDER 100 FT

1st place: Rene Kappetein, Worlds End

2nd place: Adrian Martin, Lady Alliaura

3rd place: Caro Uy, Muse

STEWARD/STEWARDESS TABLE SETTINGChef-Caro-Uy

160FT AND OVER

Theone Penn, Troyanda

100 TO 159  FT

Hilary Gibbson, Andromeda La Dea

UP TO 99FT

Julia Fluhrer, Matau

SEAQUELL-Tabletop
SEAQUELL

After viewing all of the impressive table settings the judges were inspired to spontaneously create an additional award category for the Creative Use of the Number 50 and Champagne Bottle. The winning yachts were Passion, for an artistic rendering of 50 made with glass pieces and labels from Piper Heidsieck bottles, and Sea Quell, for an elaborately Caribbean construction of palm fronds and banana leaves.

The winners of the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show Concours de Chef and Table Setting Competitions add a special ingredient for clients chartering aboard their magnificent yachts!

Follow the links above to charter the award-winning yachts and click here for comprehensive destination descriptions and detailed information on Caribbean Yacht Charter.

Mersin Marina: The Largest Yachting Center, City Port and Urban Attraction on Turkey’s Eastern Shore

Mersin Marina is the largest marina on Turkey’s east Mediterranean shores with a capacity to service 500 boats in water and 500 boats in drydock.  The Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim proudly inaugurated the facility on November 28 with the goal to promote Mersin as a gateway to Caucasus, Middle East and Africa.

Mersin Marina is designed by Öncüoglu Mimarlik as a city port as well as an urban social center to appeal to residents not directly involved in the marine industry. Public areas include an amphitheater with a capacity for 2,000 people and a Sports Center and Yacht Club with indoor and outdoor facilities including a spa, tennis courts, basketball field and children’s 1,000sqm entertainment park.

Sports International sports centerIn additional to divers social facilities, Mersin Marina offers boat services including electricity, fresh water, sewage removal, wireless Internet, cable TV, laundry, shower, first aid, professional divers, fuel stations, a tourism agency, a car rental center, supermarkets, banks and ATMs, yacht brokerage, and maintenance and repair facilities equipped with a 100 ton travel lift.

Mersin is an important center of tourism and trade with a population of 1.602.000 people living in the city center and surrounding area. The region is presently serviced by Adana international airport while a new international airport is under construction in Tarsus, just 30 km outside Mersin.

Follow this helpful link for comprehensive information to explore Charter Yachts and Destinations in Turkey.

More than 100 Spectacular Luxury Charter Yachts in Attendance at the 2011 Antigua Charter Yacht Show

It is the 50th anniversary of the Antigua Charter Yacht Show and reasons for the longevity of the popular event abound. The show sets the stage for charter agents to view the stunning array of availabilities for the forthcoming Caribbean charter season, to meet with captains and crews, and to sample the delicacies of the many remarkably talented chefs.

The attending yachts, which range in length from 46 feet to 245 feet, are berthed in three marinas, Falmouth Harbour, English Harbour and Nelson`s Dockyard. Our charter experts have been on board several of the yachts in all three locations.

At English Harbor top yachts included the magnificent 184ft. Perini Navi, PANTHALASSA, a high-performance sailing yacht with a James Bond flare. BLISS, a striking 121ft. Dubois features stunning interiors embellished by exotic elements such as stingray skin and glass-embedded metal. The attractive crew of BLISS ranks highly for enthusiasm and charm.

The week-long annual event also features the popular Concours De Chef and table-setting competition. This year chefs are asked to prepare a Caribbean banquet celebrating the Antigua Charter Show’s 50th anniversary.

Piper Heidsieck is sponsoring the Steward/Stewardess Table Setting Challenge with a prize for the most imaginative and elegant Caribbean-themed anniversary table decoration incorporating the number 50.

Check back for continuous updates about top yachts and show events!

Follow this link for excellent information about Antigua and Caribbean Sea Yacht Charter and to launch your charter adventure through these breathtaking islands.

Tropical Lemon Crash Cocktail Courtesy of The Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda, BVI

The Bitter End Yacht Club, North Sound, Virgin Gorda, shares their secret to stimulating holiday cheer.  Celebrate the season with one of their favorite (and famous) 16 Sounders, the Lemon Crash:

1 ½ – 2 oz Mount Gay Rum

1 – 2 whole lemons cut up

½ ounce lime juice

2 oz simple syrup

Ice to fill glass

Blend all the ingredients together. Garnish with a lemon slice and a cherry. Enjoy!

They would also like to remind you that neuroscientists have concluded that the best naps take place in a hammock.

Here is a useful link to launch your exploration of Yacht Charter in the British Virgin Islands

Follow this link for information and nautical chart of Virgin Gorda, BVI