Kedgeree

The Empire Strikes Back…

I can’t for the life of me pronounce the name of this dish but despite its unusual combination of ingredients it is scrumptious. At the height of the British Empire during the days of the Raj returning colonials brought with them influences of Indian cuisine resulting in the ultimate Victorian “fusion” food. Originally enjoyed as a breakfast dish it makes an equally good lunch or supper dish …  JJ

Ingredients & Costing…
Basmati Rice x 300gm	0.72
Water x 350ml	0.00
Smoked Coley Fillets x 2	1.99
Spanish Onion x 1 finely chopped	0.33
Eggs x 3 hardboiled (free range)	0.72
Butter x 100gms	0.48
Hot Curry Powder x 1 tsp	0.05
Fresh Parsley x 3 heaped tblsp	0.99
Lemon Juice x 1	0.25
Maldon Sea Salt	0.05
Freshly Ground Black Pepper	0.05
4 Hearty Portions	€5.63

It Couldn’t be easier…

æ      Measure the rice in a cup, transfer to a sieve & rinse well under cold running water until the water runs clear, this will remove excess starch

æ      Place the Coley fillets in a small saucepan, add equal part of water to rice, cover with a tight fitting lid, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes

æ      When the fish is cooked remove from the pan with a slotted spoon & keep warm (reserve the cooking liquid)

æ      Melt half the butter in a heavy based saucepan & sauté the onion until translucent, this will take approximately 10 minutes

æ      Add the curry powder to the onions, stir well & cook for a further 2 minutes

æ      Add the washed rice & the reserved cooking liquid (you may need to add a little extra water – you should have equal parts water to rice)

æ      Cover the saucepan with a tight fitting lid, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to the lowest setting & cook for 10 minutes – DO NOT TAKE OFF THE LID, PEEK OR STIR THE RICE. When the cooking time has elapsed turn off the heat & leave the rice to stand – STILL DON’T TAKE OFF THE LID

æ      Meanwhile chop the hardboiled eggs & fresh parsley

æ      Now you can take the lid off the rice, fork through, add the flaked fish, eggs, parsley & lemon juice

æ      Season generously with salt & freshly ground black pepper

æ       Finally before serving add the remainder of the butter giving a lovely glossy coat to the finished dish

The Rolls Royce of Rice…

Basmati is a particular strain of long grain rice which originates in India & is renowned for its beautiful fragrance & delicate texture. I know professional chef’s who shy away from cooking it however, if you follow a few simple rules you will get perfect results every time.

·         Rinse the rice under cold running water until it runs clear, removing excess starch & helping to prevent the rice from being sticky

·         Use equal parts water to rice, many recipes suggest you use more water but I find this leaves the rice a little “soggy”

·         Use a good heavy based saucepan with a tight fitting lid

·         When you add the water to the rice – do not be tempted to stir it, simply cover it and bring the water to the boil

·         When steam begins to escape from under the lid reduce the heat to the lowest setting & leave to cook undisturbed for 10 minutes

·         Do not open the lid for any reason

·         After 10 minutes turn off the heat & leave the rice to stand for a further 5 minutes

·         Now you can take off the lid – you should have perfectly cooked grains that separate easily with a fork

·         Good luck… JJ