Saturday 24 March 2018

Kedgeree



Do people ever make kedgeree, any more? I suspect, only very rarely. And I can't remember the last time I had it served to me by somebody else.
A memory from childhood, when I suppose we were occasionally (very occasionally) given it as a breakfast treat, it remains one of those dishes that comes as close to perfection as I can think of: the flavour, the texture and the quintessential more-ish-ness of the thing. For years, I suppose I'd almost forgotten its existence, before re-discovering it not so long ago and firmly placing it back within my repertoire, generally to be served as a supper first course, and on high days and holidays as something to be served for breakfast. As the centre-piece for a Boxing Day brunch, IMHO, it cannot be bettered.
This version is a slight re-working of a recipe set down, several decades ago now,  by Frances Bissell.

Serves 6.

Ingredients: 1 tbs olive oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 6 cardamom pods, crushed; 3 cloves; 340g basmati rice; 850 ml fish stock ; 340g smoked haddock, skin-removed; 3 eggs, hard-boiled; 1 tsp curry powder; 1 tbs cream; seasoning.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan (one which has a lid) and cook the diced onion until it has properly softened - about five minutes.

2. Grind the cardamom and cloves together in a pestle-and-mortar, and add to the pan, along with the rice; stir to amalgamate everything thoroughly. Add the fish stock, bring to the boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Covered, let the rice cook for about twenty minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

3. Flake the fish and mix it, along with the curry powder and the chopped-up eggs,, into the rice; with the lid on the pan, let it heat through for a further four or five minutes. Add seasoning, to taste. Stir in the cream, to give a firm but unctuous texture.

Serve.

Some finely chopped parsley as a garnish doesn't hurt, if you have any to hand.

Let's hope this dreary winter is over...!

Two weeks ago...

And, three days ago:


Tonight's Dinner:

Kedgeree

Steak frites (which is possible, since we're in dreary dismal London for the weekend, whilst the aged parent - who can't deal with steak any longer - is sitting back in balmy Italy...we can wallow self-indulgently in food-with-no-threat-to-false-teeth!)

Chocolate Mousse, with fresh raspberries