Kedgeree served on antique silverware
(beaunashbath.com)
Having never made this dish before, I wasn’t keen to go the wet, more traditional, route as I had visions of making a spiced risotto-like mush, so I kept the rice nice and fluffy, adding a splash of fish stock to make sure it wasn’t too dry. I included peas for a pop of colour and bite, and was quite liberal with the chopped coriander to make it taste super-fresh and fragrant. I found it easy to make and enjoyable for both breakfast and as a light supper.
450g basmati rice
2 eggs
200g frozen peas
500g smoked haddock
120g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and cut into thin rings, plus extra to garnish
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a large pan, cover with cold water and leave to stand for half an hour.
- Meanwhile, place the eggs in a pan and cover with cold water by 2.5cm. Bring to the boil and simmer over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and plunge immediately into ice-cold water, to avoid greying around the yolk. Once cool enough to handle, crack the shells and carefully peel. Set aside.
- Place the frozen peas in a small saucepan, cover with water and cook for about 10 minutes from boiling. Drain and set aside.
- Drain the rice, then put in a large pan and cover with 585ml cold water. Place on the hob, bring to the boil and stir, then cover tightly with a lid and turn to a low heat. Cook for 15–20 minutes or until the water has been fully absorbed, then remove from the heat. Leaving the lid on, set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then fork through to fluff up the rice.
- Meanwhile, put the fish, skin-side up, in a shallow pan over a low heat and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Lift out the fish, then decant the liquid into a jug and set aside. Remove the skin and break the fish into large flakes.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a low heat and gently fry the onion until soft. Stir in the sliced chilli to taste, cardamom pods, curry powder and turmeric. Cook for a few minutes, then stir in the rice until coated with the spices. Depending on how wet or dry you want your kedgeree, you can add a splash of the fish cooking water. Stir in the fish flakes and peas and heat through, then mix in half of the chopped coriander.
- Place the kedgeree in a serving dish or divide into individual portions. Using a sharp knife, slice the hard-boiled eggs into quarters and place on top, then add the remaining coriander and lemon wedges. Garnish with extra sliced chilli if you fancy a bit more heat.