I grabbed a knife and stared at the carrots, peas, and peppers laid out on the cutting board. That morning, I arrived in the nearby port of Agadir on the Seabourn Ovation and found myself in the kitchen of Heaven’s Way Restaurant in the small village of Alma, Morocco, with a group of British, Australian, and American nationals. . In this class, local women taught us how to make tagine. After buying our ingredients at a nearby street market, we followed our instructor’s instructions and cut each vegetable differently (zucchini into coins, potatoes into wedges) for the perfect presentation on top of the chicken. We did this. Whirl around with seasonings like nutty argan oil, grated ginger and harissa, smell the aromatic aroma of Ras el Hanout, a blend of 35 freshly ground spices, and grab a big pinch. I did. Then, while each tagine simmered on the burner, we toured the organic garden beneath the restaurant, filled with beehives, vegetables and herbs, shopped next door at Elécile d’Argane, and enjoyed the euphorbia nectar. We sampled local products such as bittersweet Euphorbia honey made from. Bees collected from local cacti.
Alma was just the first stop on a 12-day round-trip Lisbon cruise to Morocco and the Canary Islands, but we soon learned that the trip would be full of culinary adventures both on and off board. I left all restraints at the embarkation gangway as the Tajine feast set the tone for the rest of the cruise. Seabourn Ovation’s chefs make everything from scratch, including almond croissants as delicious as the ones I had in France, chicken consomme clarified to gleam, and apple sorbet that tastes like pure, ripe fall fruit. I’ll make it.
Starting in January 2024, the cruise line rolled out a new restaurant concept, Solis, on four of its ships. It was released at Seabourn Ovation in March. Solis creates excitement with an ambitious pan-Mediterranean menu. One must-order is the whole chicken, which serves two people and is roasted in a cocotte and wrapped in bread dough to trap the steam. When the server cracked it tableside, I swear the concentrated chicken essence wafted about eight feet across the room. Ditto for the gigantic Bistecca alla Fiorentina, dripping with juice and sending a meaty aroma head-turning the surrounding tables.
Provided by Seaborn
The ship also hosts culinary events, including a sommelier-led four-course lunch. The midday indulgence began with a pairing of J. LaSalle Champagne and silk chicken liver parfait and ended with 2019 Château Suduiraud Sauternes 1er Cru Classe and brandy. Camembert flavored mousse. Some participants hit the gym after their pampering. I decided to take an equally delicious nap in the suite. At the Earth and Ocean Dinner, a five-course meal at the exclusive Deck 12 Retreat, I drank Crystal Rosé. It’s as elegant as paper-thin gin-cured salmon with a champagne vinaigrette. I also drank Opus One, which matched the richness of the wine. Beef tenderloin and oxtail braised in thyme and truffle juice.
In Tangier, we took another culinary tour to Blue Door Cuisine. I sat on a low sofa while my teachers, Zainab and Huda, demonstrated the intricate preparation of Moroccan tea. Then we started making khobz, a Moroccan flatbread. Although I was no champion, we took turns pounding and kneading the dough. My instructor, Hanan, insisted that I hit harder. I walked the bread to a nearby communal bakery, the walls stained with smoke, and handed it through a small window to the baker who was minding a wood-burning oven several feet underground. Soon, I was tearing into pieces of piping hot bread and savoring its warmth as I scooped up homemade goat cheese, salty olives, and sweet fig jam.
More fun happened on our last day on board with a pool party to celebrate the end of the cruise. The executive chef piled caviar onto the blini from his surfboard. Despite nearly two weeks of indulging, I just couldn’t resist. So I didn’t do that. www.seabourn.com
