Kedgeree nights

  

 

 

 

 

      The name is evocative of another place and time. 

      Often thought of as a traditional British brunch dish, it was brought back to Britain by returning colonials from India, having started out as Khichari, a dish of rice and lentils.

      This is an amazingly flavoured food with hints of subtle spice. Too fussy for breakfast (in my opinion), it makes a great dinner for a winter’s evening.  

       Here's the recipe I use (serves 4):

       Ingredients

·         50g butter

·         1 medium onion, finely chopped

·         3 cardamom pods, split open

·         ¼ teaspoon turmeric

·         1 small cinnamon stick

·         2 fresh bay leaves or 1 dried

·         450g basmati rice

·         1 litre/1¾ pints chicken, vegetable or fish stock

·         750g un-dyed smoked haddock fillet

·         3 eggs

·         3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

     Method

1.    Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook gently over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion is softened but not browned. Stir in the cardamom pods, turmeric, cinnamon stick and bay leaves, then cook for 1 minute.

2.    Tip in the rice and stir until it is all coloured in the spicy butter. Pour in the stock, add half a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil, stirring once to free any rice from the bottom of the pan. Cover with a close-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and leave to cook very gently for 12 minutes.

3.    Bring some water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Add the smoked haddock and simmer for 4 minutes until the fish is just cooked. Lift it out on to a plate and leave until cool enough to handle. Hard-boil the eggs for 8 minutes. Flake the fish, discarding any skin and bones. Drain the eggs, then peel and chop.

4.    Uncover the rice and remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods if you wish to. Gently fork in the fish and the chopped eggs, cover again and return to the heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish has heated through. Gently stir in almost all the parsley, and season with a little salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately on warmed plates, scattered with the remaining parsley.