BUTTERY KEDGEREE

Curried rice, smokey flaked fish, boiled egg, butter, parsley and lemon juice. Not the usual ingredients to cross my mind first thing in the morning, but all living together in perfect harmony in this Anglo-Indian breakfast dish called Kedgeree. According to Wikipedia, Kedgeree is an extended version of  Khichri, an Indian dish made with rice and beans or rice and lentils. During Indian Colonial times the British added smokey fish and eggs, and Kedgeree was born - and also easier to pronounce, I guess ;-)  Indeed they liked it so much that they brought it back all the way to Victorian England, where it was served as a posh breakfast.

The smoked haddock is definitely the big star of this dish, and the moment you start to poach it, the kitchen starts to fill with the most beautiful smokey buttery perfume, setting the scene for what's to come... Unfortunately it's tricky to find it here in Brussels in the shops, but there's a great fishmonger on Place Flagey at the weekend market, and he tends to stock it. I love its loud yellow-orange colour; it just looks and tastes so
gorgeous in the dish. Although I admit, I am not sure if the colour comes from the actual smoking, or it's some kind of food colour-flavouring, so if you prefer, use unsmoked and/or uncoloured.

In Delia's recipe the fish poaching liquid is used to boil the rice afterwards, infusing it with smokey flavour. But be careful, the fish can be quite salty, and I never need to add additional salt to the dish, so to be on the safe side, it's best to taste the liquid after poaching and dilute it with a little plain water if necessary bevor using it for the rice. Tip: be general with the parsley, and don't skip the lemon juice. Both add freshness and lightness to the dish at the end. Great for lunch or dinner, but also brunch, especially for a large crowd. Or as a late breakfast after a long night out...  ;-) On my To-Do-List: Gordon Ramsay's Posh Kedgeree with salmon and quails eggs... 

Inspired by: my friend Helen's beautiful Kedgeree, our first and the one that got us hooked...
Recipe source: Buttery Kedgeree, Delia Smith, delia online 

Serves 2:

350g thick smoked haddock filet
275ml cold water
50g butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 round tsp mild curry powder (or ¾ tsp hot Madras powder if you like it a little hotter)
110 ml (4 fl oz) (measured in a measuring jug) white basmati rice, unwashed
2-3 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
2 heaped Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 Tbsp lemon juice
freshly milled black pepper

Place the haddock fillet in a pan and cover with 275 ml cold water. Bring to the boil, then immediately lower the heat. Put on a lid and simmer gently for about 8 minutes, or until the fish starts to flake. 

Transfer the cooked haddock to a dish and cover with foil to keep it warm. Pour the cooking water into a measuring jug, reserving 225ml for later. Discard the rest. Test the liquid and add more salt if necessary, or dilute with a little water in case too salty. 

Using the same poaching pan, melt 25g of the butter. Add the chopped onion and  pinch of salt and sweat over medium-low heat for app. 5-10 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the curry powder and leave to cook for a minute or so until fragrant.

Stir in the measured rice and fry for a couple of seconds then add the 225 ml reserved haddock poaching liquid. Turn the heat to medium-high. Stir once. As soon as the liquid comes to simmering point, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid (placing a sheet of alu foil between the pot and lid creates a good seal) and cook very gently for 15 minutes or until the rice grains are tender. Do not lift the lid during cooking. 

Meanwhile boil the eggs: bring water to the boil in a small saucepan. Pierce the eggs on the round side with a pin so that the air can escape during cooking, then add them to the boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and hold under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Wrap the unpeeled eggs in a kitchen towel to keep them warm. 

When the rice has been cooking for app. 10 minutes, remove and discard the skin and any bones from the fish, then flake the flesh. Peel the eggs and cut them into rounds or quarters. Chop the parsley, squeeze the lemon juice. Cut the remaining butter into small cubes.

When the rice is cooked, remove the lid and take the pan off the heat. Add the flaked fish, chopped eggs, parsley, lemon juice and the remaining butter, and mix all ingredients carefully under the rice with a fork. 

Taste and season with black pepper (and a little more salt if needed, depending on the fish used), then cover the pan with a folded tea towel and replace it on a very gentle heat for 5 minutes to warm through. Put the kedgeree into a hot serving dish and serve immediately. 

_________________________________________________

BUTTERY KEDGEREE 

Serves 2:

350g thick smoked haddock filet

275ml cold water

50g butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 round tsp mild curry powder (or ¾ tsp hot Madras powder if you like it a little hotter)

110 ml (4 fl oz) (measured in a measuring jug) white basmati rice, unwashed

2-3 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped

2 heaped Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 Tbsp lemon juice

freshly milled black pepper

1) Poach the haddock: Place the haddock fillet in a pan and cover with 275 ml cold water. Bring to the boil, then immediately lower the heat. Put on a lid and simmer gently for about 8 minutes, or until the fish starts to flake. 

2) Remove the haddock, reserve the cooking liquid: Transfer the cooked haddock to a dish and cover with foil to keep it warm. Pour the cooking water into a measuring jug, reserving 225ml for later. Discard the rest. Test the liquid and add more salt if necessary, or dilute with a little water in case too salty. 

3) Fry the onion, add the curry powder: Using the same poaching pan, melt 25g of the butter. Add the chopped onion and  pinch of salt and sweat over medium-low heat for app. 5-10 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the curry powder and leave to cook for a minute or so until fragrant.

4) Add the rice and poaching liquid and cook: Stir in the measured rice and fry for a couple of seconds then add the 225 ml reserved haddock poaching liquid. Turn the heat to medium-high. Stir once. As soon as the liquid comes to simmering point, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid (placing a sheet of alu foil between the pot and lid creates a good seal) and cook very gently for 15 minutes or until the rice grains are tender. Do not lift the lid during cooking. 

5) Boil the eggs: Meanwhile boil the eggs: bring water to the boil in a small saucepan. Pierce the eggs on the round side with a pin so that the air can escape during cooking, then add them to the boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and hold under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Wrap the unpeeled eggs in a kitchen towel to keep them warm. 

6) Flake the haddock: When the rice has been cooking for app. 10 minutes, remove and discard the skin and any bones from the fish, then flake the flesh. 

7) Prepare the remaining ingredients: Peel the eggs and cut them into rounds or quarters. Chop the parsley, squeeze the lemon juice. Cut the remaining butter into small cubes.

8) Add all the ingredients to the rice: When the rice is cooked, remove the lid and take the pan off the heat. Add the flaked fish, chopped eggs, parsley, lemon juice and the remaining butter, and mix all ingredients carefully under the rice with a fork. 

9) Season and warm through: Taste and season with black pepper (and a little more salt if needed, depending on the fish used), then cover the pan with a folded tea towel and replace it on a very gentle heat for 5 minutes to warm through. 

10) Serve: Serve the kedgeree hot, family-style, in a pre-heated serving dish.