November 18, 2021

Barbecue for the sea rescuers of Borkum

The “cooking sea rescuers”: Captain Karl Friedrich “Fritz” Brückner (centre) and the volunteer rescuer Klaus “Würstchen” Wybrands (right)

Borkum is the westernmost and, at just under 31 square kilometers, the largest of the inhabited East Frisian Islands. It is located in the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Every year, thousands of visitors flock to the town, which is famous as a North Sea spa, and are amazed by the beauty of the landscape and Borkum cuisine. The North Sea offers many culinary treasures - but the sea not only gives, it can also take. The sea rescuers of Borkum know this only too well.

The salt water in the hull of the sailing yacht is rising higher and higher. Whipped-up waves are breaking into the wrecked 13-meter boat, which is in danger of sinking about two nautical miles (around 4 kilometers) off Borkum. South-westerly winds of around 5 Beaufort are blowing (0 corresponds to calm, 12 to a hurricane). A Dutch couple and the ship's cat have to fear for their lives. All around them, all that can be heard is the sea roaring in the darkness.

The new sea rescue cruiser SK40, the future HAMBURG, with daughter boat.

The North Sea is not only an idyllic place of longing for holidaymakers, it often shows its roaring wildness, and then it becomes dangerous for fishermen, sailors or cargo ship owners. As in this dramatic case, which occurred on the night of May 30, 2019. But the call "Save Our Souls!" does not go unheard this time either. The sea rescue cruiser ALFRIED KRUPP, stationed on Borkum, sets out to rescue the victims. All three are rescued by the helpers. The rescued people are provided with hot tea while their yacht sinks in the cold waters of the North Sea.

Since their foundation in 1865, the sea rescuers of the German Sea Rescue Association have been on call around the clock. The Borkum sea rescuers carry out their duties from their western station. Captain Karl Friedrich "Fritz" Brückner and the volunteer rescuer Klaus "Würstchen" Wybrands have many heroic stories to tell.

The exciting life on board the sea rescue cruisers is fascinating, but the crew is not interested in their work for fame. During their 14-day watch, the crew lives day and night on the SK40, the as yet unchristened successor to the ALFRIED KRUPP. There is no permanent cook on board, but Fritz and Klaus are good cooks themselves. "Rescue is precision work, a question of routine and experience. And that also applies to cooking on board, in cramped conditions, often interrupted by missions at sea," say the two. As a thank you for their efforts, the sailors sometimes receive boxes of freshly caught fish from rescued cutters. This pleases everyone on the rescue cruiser, because food keeps the nine-strong regular crew happy.

For Fritz and Klaus, it doesn't always have to be traditional sea fare; they often improvise new recipe ideas in their galley. The sea rescue cooks have just 2 square meters of space to conjure up their dishes. A real challenge. During our visit, we were able to get a first-hand impression of life on board the SK40 and were impressed by how the men live and work in such a confined space and in constant alert.

As a thank you for their tireless efforts, we surprised the crew with a harbor BBQ on the jetty of the SK40. Rack of lamb, plaice and Berkshire pork made the crew's mouths water. The whole thing was organized by Fred Schwarzenburg, Thorsten Eickmann and Dirk Oelke. The real Borkumers and die-hard barbecuers are of the opinion that their everyday heroes should also sit back and enjoy something juicy from the grill. Fritz and Klaus were delighted with the dishes prepared by the grill professionals, the surprise was a success.

RECIPE FOR CORN PLAICE
with Borkum potato salad

Ingredients for 4 persons):
• 8 plaice
• Salt pepper
• Zest of 1 organic lime
• Rapeseed oil

For the potato salad:
• 1 kg potatoes
• 10 cucumbers from a jar
• 1 bunch of radishes
• 2 red onions
• 150 g mango dressing (prepared with 50 g olive oil, 100 g mango vinegar, 10 g mustard, 10 g salt, 1 ½ g pepper; puree with a hand blender for approx. 2 minutes)
• 100 g sea buckthorn jelly
• 100 ml sea buckthorn juice or sea buckthorn liqueur
• Oil for frying the onions
• 3 sprigs of thyme

PREPARATION:
Boil the potatoes with their skins on for around 15 minutes, depending on their size, and peel them while still hot. Peel the onions and sauté in oil until slightly translucent. Deglaze with the mango dressing. Bring to the boil briefly and keep warm. Cut the radishes into thin strips. Cut the potatoes into slices. Mix the sea buckthorn jelly and sea buckthorn liqueur together and add to the mango dressing, mix everything together and pour over the potatoes while still warm. Pick the thyme sprigs, add to the potatoes and mix together again.
Cut the fins off the plaice using poultry shears. Season the trimmed plaice with salt and pepper, or you can coat the plaice in flour. Heat the grill to 180°C and fry the plaice in a pan with plenty of oil for about 3 minutes on each side. Tip: One side is cooked when you can see the bones inside. After frying, grate the lime over the finished plaice using a grater. Serve with the Borkum potato salad.

More delicious fish recipes can be found in FIRE&FOOD 03/2020 and in our recipe database !

Byl's Fisshus – Borkum's friendly fish house

After three generations of deep-sea fishing, the fourth generation of the Byl family has dedicated itself entirely to cooking. Geerd Byl Senior now runs the popular Byl's Fisshus, and his son is the head chef. Only freshly caught fish from the North Sea is offered in the fish house, which the Byls source from Greetsiel, Lauwersoog (NL) and Harlingen, as well as from fish auctions in Bremerhaven. Geerd Byl Junior likes to surprise his customers with sophisticated dishes. Byl's Fisshus is no longer an insider tip for locals and tourists alike. A visit is an absolute must for fish fans on the island!