Cooking with the engine

[Big Steve]

I've heard of people cooking things on car engines by wrapping them in foil and leaving them on the cylinder head while going for a drive. Has anyone tried this on a boat? Be a great way of cooking dinner if it works, no need to fire up the microwave or stove, warm pies anytime, sounds great. A thought was that the boat engine might not be hot enough because of the water cooled exhaust. or perhaps everything tastes of diesel. You could even make a little tray with a lid to fit around all the bits. I think I'll give it a try, but would welcome comments from anyone who's tried it.

 

Steve

[alan_fincher]

I think you have hit the nail on the head.

 

Usually a great deal more effort is made to keep exhaust parts on a boat engine relatively cool, compared to those in a car.

 

Where ithis is done in a car, it's usually on top of the exhaust ports, ("Steak Manifold"), and as you say there is normally a cooling water jacket around the equivalent bit of a boat engine.

 

Mind you, from the seering heat I've experienced coming from people's Eberspaacher exhausts, perhaps you could just dangle something wrapped in aluminium foil in front of one of those. (Why do they never seem to actually case anything on the bank to catch fire?).

[DHutch]

Ive heard of bank fired from eber units. And certainly its common for the grass around to be quite dried!

[alan_fincher]

Ive heard of bank fired from eber units. And certainly its common for the grass around to be quite dried!

Are you able to do a traditional "fireman's grill" in Emily Ann, Daniel, or does the vertical boiler make keeping part-cooked fried eggs on the shovel a tad difficult ?

Edited June 6, 2008 by alan_fincher

[DHutch]

Are you able to do a traditional "fireman's grill" in Emily Anne, Daniel, or does the vertical boiler make keeping part-cooked fried eggs on the shovel a tad difficult ?

No no, its all quite do able if you should wish. A lot of th launch boys do it in there VFT's.

- The only reason we dont dont do it is that the gas stove has a rather nice grill, and is rather conviently located in a relativly clean kitchen, along with the eggs and bacon!!

 

 

Daniel

[Biggles]

You can use a dishwasher to cook whole large fish.

 

Biggles

[blackrose]

You can use a dishwasher to cook whole large fish.

 

Biggles

 

I tried it with my washing machine but now my clothes smell terrible!

 

I was thinking of using my bow thruster to chop vegetables next...

Edited June 6, 2008 by blackrose

[Biggles]

I tried it with my washing machine but now my clothes smell terrible!

 

I was thinking of using my bow thruster to chop vegetables next...

 

 

Who the hell admits to a bow thruster in a forum like this :lol:

 

Biggles

[alan_fincher]

Who the hell admits to a bow thruster in a forum like this :lol:

 

Biggles

Have you ever tried chopping vegetables with a 4 metre wooden pole with a blunt end ?

 

A bow thruster is defintely better.

[Catrin]

I tried it with my washing machine but now my clothes smell terrible!

 

I was thinking of using my bow thruster to chop vegetables next...

 

 

I quite often use the top of the stove as an extra cooking surface in colder weather, particularly for things that need cooking for a while (or for keeping a kettle hot) - but I don't think I'd fire it up just to cook in this weather. Not sure I'd want to try cooking on the engine - what if the food fell off into the bilges?

 

PS - 19 year old son says "I don't think admitting to a bowthruster is too bad if you're trying to single-hand a wide beam".

 

Cheers

Cath

[Chris J W]

I wonder if you could make a "warm plate" using the calorifier system? Good way to do a slow-cook stew!

[blackrose]

Who the hell admits to a bow thruster in a forum like this :lol:

 

Biggles

 

I don't "admit" to having a bow thruster, I proclaim it.

 

I was having arguments about bow thrusters on the forum about 4000 posts ago...

Edited June 7, 2008 by blackrose

[carlt]

I always keep the fish and chips warm, under the bonnet of the car, whilst putting the tent up, on the first night of a camping holiday.

[Machpoint005]

I daresay you could slow-cook a stew on the cylinder head: boil it up first thing, bung it in a chinese takeaway foil container with lid, leave sitting in the engine 'ole while cruising all day. There must be as much heat as there is in a slow cooker (40w light bulb!)

 

Might be as well to have a contingency plan, though (emergency spag bolly or moor by pub).

[stubbs]

why would you want to use the engine when you have a good cooker down below

[Big Steve]

why would you want to use the engine when you have a good cooker down below

 

'Cos it uses no gas, is ready all the time and you don't have to clean the cooker!

 

Some very droll replies here but it would appear that no ones actually tried it. I'll give it a go and let you know what happens.

[Hair Bear Bunch]

We used to heat pies and pasties ect on the engine of a forage harvester. Mind you, that was a Detroit V6 2stroke. Wedge it all down between the cylinder banks behind the supercharger then 2 hours at gas mark flat out, (3,000 revs) and all done a treat (but completely deaf!).

Edited June 8, 2008 by Hair Bear Bunch

[mattlad]

pasties (but completely deaf!).

 

Was that you or the pastie?

[bargeeboy]

Use the exhaust housing on the Bolinder for pies and pasties during the summer when range not lit.

[Nathan90]

I have tried it with jacket potatoes and after three or four hours they were still raw

[Athy]

I have tried it with jacket potatoes and after three or four hours they were still raw

Next time, switch the engine on.

[Bimbly1]

I have tried it with jacket potatoes and after three or four hours they were still raw

 

JPs are always slow to cook. We usually start them off in the microwave and then foil wrap and put them on top of the engine whilst we carry on cruising for a few hours. Done slowly they are really tasty with a knob of butter.

[JerryP]

When i used to go off roading in my Land Rover ,i used to wedge a pastie wrapped in foil on the exhaust manifold , it was certainly warm enough by lunch time ,but the pastry was a bit soggy (a bit like when you do them in a microwave) .

 

If i did it on my kelvin engine ,i'd probably die of hunger waiting for ir to warm up

[koukouvagia]

When I had the Seffle, I'd prop a frying pan over the blow lamp and by the time the engine was ready to start, I'd have a nice bacon butty.

[Laurence Hogg]

I've heard of people cooking things on car engines by wrapping them in foil and leaving them on the cylinder head while going for a drive. Has anyone tried this on a boat? Be a great way of cooking dinner if it works, no need to fire up the microwave or stove, warm pies anytime, sounds great. A thought was that the boat engine might not be hot enough because of the water cooled exhaust. or perhaps everything tastes of diesel. You could even make a little tray with a lid to fit around all the bits. I think I'll give it a try, but would welcome comments from anyone who's tried it.

 

Steve

I have cooked sausages in thick ally foil on the manifold of our HB2, works fine, also good for re heating stuff. Providing you keep the food well protected its just a heat source.