Tuesday, 4 February 2020

LUXURY KEDGEREE, Indulgence with opt for budget friendly

Luxury spiced rice & fish for an ambrosial special occasion...
photo 28.12.19

Not that long ago every London 5-star hotel worthy of its ranking offered the gorgeously creamy spiced rice & fish dish known as kedgeree as part of the traditional English breakfast.  

Some still do.

Imported from India in the days of the Raj, kedgeree was altered to suit British tastes.  

Recipes for the beautifully spiced dish abound, with degrees of spiciness.  But 67, despite many efforts, has never been able to reproduce the glorious rich creaminess of posh hotel versions and gave up as age and cholesterol-phobia took hold.

Recent extracts from the new Downton Abbey recipe books showed the vital ingredient missing from 67's efforts was...eggs.  Raw eggs, mixed roughly with cream before adding to the rice, produces the soft, luxuriant unmistakable texture of those wonderful kedgerees.

Reader, it was a revelation.  

The dish is ideal for any special occasion.  Best quality fresh salmon was chosen but can be replaced by quality smoked haddock or white filets.  The frugal can opt for frozen wild salmon fillets.

The dish is lightly spiced so will suit kids and/or the ill and infirm. 

Cost: depends on fish (Whole Foods' salmon is wonderful but reflected in the price - 400gm for £10; Iceland & Waitrose have good prices for frozen wild salmon about £4 for 400gm)
Serves: 3-4 but recipe multiples easily


Ingreds:

Court Boullion: (poaching liquid which heightens the flavour of the fish) 
  • enough water to cover the fish
  • 1 med onion, sliced
  • 1 small carrot, sliced
  • 1 stick celery, sliced
  • 2 small bay leaves
  • 1/4 tsp peppercorns
  • 50 ml white wine

225gm/8oz salmon  

4 tbsp butter 

388gm/13.5oz white or brown rice, cooked in leftover Court Boullion topped up with water if necessary.  It should be slightly underdone, cold, rubbed until grains are separate

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp mild curry powder  
salt & black pepper

1 raw egg
80ml (5.5 oz) double cream

Garnish: half a small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
             1 hard-boiled egg, peeled & sliced

Method:

1. Bring Court Bullion to a boil
2.  Turn off heat; add fish.  Rest 10 mins or until fish flakes easily 
3.  Drain fish, reserving stock; cool; remove skin & bones; break into large flakes  (Steps 1-3 can be completed ahead of time.)
4  When ready to cook, melt butter in large high sided pan over med heat; add cayenne, curry powder, pepper & salt; stir a few mins 
5.  Add rice; stir; if rice is sticking, add a a tablespoon or two of stock, remembering that cream & egg will be added later
6.  When rice is piping hot, add fish, mixing with a light hand. Turn heat down to very low.
7.  Beat egg and cream roughly with a fork; pour evenly over rice
8.  Cook very gently 5-6 mins, turning occasionally, until egg is cooked through but still runny
9.  Check seasoning -- more salt & pepper may be needed
10.  Serve garnished with parsley & slices of hard boiled egg



 More fish on Nav Bar: Recipes I

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 This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission   

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