Galley Essentials with Amanda Amanda and Maria


Upon arriving in Vava’u,


Tonga, our crew read of a protected anchorage about ten miles away at tiny Tapana Island. It boasts sandy beaches, no villages but two unusual businesses, both run by ex-cruisers. Our first stop in dinghy exploration was the tiny bright blue houseboat of the Ark Gallery and when John stepped onto the veranda, the artist, who introduced herself as Sheri, said, “I know you – Tahiti, 1982 – you were doing sail repairs. Larry and I were on Moli, a 1918 33-foot wooden cutter. We left the US in 1981 for Australia but discovered that yacht deliveries better defined our lifestyle. Since 1995, we’ve made Tonga home and the Ark allows me to pursue my painting while Larry does deliveries.” After catching up on the years John


inquired about the restaurant, across the bay to which Sheri replied “It’s eccentric and the food is great! Maria Megias and her husband Edwardo Echevaria sailed here in the 90’s from Spain on Rockin’ Blues their engineless Cal 26.” La Paella Restaurant and Beach


Bungalows is perched on a hillside with sweeping views and caters to vacationers, cruisers, Moorings charterers and kayak expeditions. Upon landing on the beach we hiked up the sandy path to a rustic building with a Tonga-meets- Spain theme. Twenty years of visitor’s souvenirs adorn the rafters and mix with local wood carvings, bamboo and tapa paneling. Maria and Edwardo, along with their Tongan worker Williami, were hard at work preparing dinner for 15. To join our party of eight we invited Annette and Gerard from a 39’ Swedish yacht and Lindi, a lawyer and endurance 48° NORTH, SEPTEMBER 2011 PAGE 56


La Paella ~ Tonga by


Amanda Swan Neal


horsewoman from Tasmania. That left a kayaking family of dairy farmers from Melbourne at the remaining table. Maria handed out leaflets with


explanations of the menu and soon plate after plate of tapas graced our tables; each more tasty and exotic than the last. Apparently the word "tapas" is derived from the Spanish verb tapar, "to cover". Legend has it slices of bread or meat were used in taverns to cover the glasses of wine between sips to prevent the fruit flies from hovering over them. The tapa was born when, due to an illness, King Alfonso X of Spain had to take small bites of food with wine between meals. Upon recovery the king decreeded that taverns were only to serve wine if it was accompanied by a snack or “tapa”. Our tapas included a variation of the following items.


Gazpacho This best-known dish of the southern


Spanish region of Andalusia probably originated during the arrival of the Moors or via the Romans with the addition of vinegar. It was traditionally eaten by workers in the field. 10 plum tomatoes


1 cucumber - diced half a green pepper - diced ½ red onion - diced 1 garlic clove - peeled 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil cilantro for garnish salt and pepper to taste In a pot bring enough


water to the boil to hold the tomatoes. Reduce heat and dunk in tomatoes, peel and dice. Working in batches blend all the ingredients together. Season to taste. Chill for an hour to let flavors develop. Serves 6.


Croquettes These small rolls usually contain the


classic French béchamel created in the 1600’s. In this recipe the Serrano ham could be replaced with chopped hard- boiled eggs, shredded salt cod, minced shrimp, chopped chorizo or cheese. 2 tablespoons olive oil - plus extra for deep-frying


4 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1½ cups milk - heated 3oz dry-cured ham - finely chopped salt


2 eggs


2 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs In a saucepan heat 2 tablespoons


olive oil with butter. Mix in flour and stir 2 minutes. Add ½ cup milk, bring to a boil, add remaining milk. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes, decrease heat and cook 10 minutes whilst stirring. Stir in ham and season. Pour mixture into a lightly oiled 8-inch square dish, let cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Break eggs in a bowl and beat until blended. Spread bread crumbs on a plate, shape béchamel-ham mixture with


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