I am lucky. I have a drawer full (literally) of spices, which I have named my Spice Drawer. Ok, so no points for originality. I won’t tell you what Paul calls it, but it usually involves a four letter expletive every time he tries to open it and finds that it has gotten jammed up, once again “and this time it’s the Taco Seasoning AND the dried Chipotles in the way!”
He might well complain when the drawer won’t open but he complains a lot more when we’ve run out of Cumin or peppercorns, hence it is my duty to provide a well stocked spice drawer.
Actually, with just a few choice spices and some dried produce stored in dusty old jars, you can make a really a substantial meal that doesn’t taste meagre.
Kedgeree is one of my favourite rice dishes that uses very few ingredients. The name is derived from an Indian dish called Khichri which is thought to be over 1000 years old. Khichri was traditionally served with rice and lentils, sometimes sultanas, chopped mint and minced lamb, but, cooked for the British Colonials in India during the late 19th Century, it evolved into something quite different. Kedgeree later become a breakfast staple for the wealthy British household for whom the first meal of the day was the most important.
At first glance, if you take a look at some of the ingredients, hard boiled eggs and smoked fish, it does seem like a traditional breakfast. Then look again: Curry powder? Basmati Rice? When was the last time I had curry and rice for breakfast (oh, now I remember...our last Indian takeaway leftovers slapped between two slices of bread)?
Those hardy Edwardians could also eat devilled kidneys for breakfast. Today’s palate is a little more (or is that less?) refined. Cereal and toast keep the vast majority of us satisfied until lunch, and so Kedgeree was relegated to a supper dish instead.
This is no bad thing. A well made, well flavoured Kedgeree made with undyed smoked haddock, heavily scented with a hot curry powder, enveloped with cream and parsley is a wonderful thing.
I have long tinkered with this dish, using various different recipes. The first one I tried was from Nigella Bites. She substituted the smoked fish for a more delicate salmon (and Eliza Acton suggested plain boiled fish herself in Modern Cookery for Private Families), exchanged risotto rice instead for Basmati and toned down the spices, spritzing the finished dish liberally with lime juice. I found myself adding more and more salt to try and extract some flavour from her recipe but it wasn’t giving it up without a fight. A good tablespoon of curry powder later and I was satisfied although I knew there was more to Kedgeree than this bland rendition.
Another, more traditional version was Tamasin Day—Lewis’ although I still found myself adding more seasoning. I loved the addition of hard-boiled quail eggs though and the chopped parsley is essential. Some cream adds a luxurious touch.
I was beginning to think it was me. Perhaps I was demanding more flavour than this dish was capable of. But, logically thinking, this was a dish coming from the days of Raj, when formerly lily-livered Brits were experimenting with hot curries and unusual spices. Surely the bland rice, the hardboiled eggs and the cream sauce could more than adequately cope with more curry? My culinary prayers were answered by Lindsay Bareham and her wonderful book, the Food Store (Kathryn, please insert sarcastic retort here).
Lindsay Barehams' version is, in my opinion, the definitive recipe. It does involve utilising at least three of your hotplates at any one time (one to boil eggs, one to boil rice and one to simmer the fish, and that’s before you need a final hotplate to make the sauce) but, if you break down all the elements of the dish one by one, it is quite simple but very, very special.
What makes Barehams’ recipe so different is that it uses a tablespoon of curry powder which is stirred into butter and onions with some flour to form a roux. This is then turned into a rich, creamy sauce with the addition of the poaching liquor, thus infusing the whole dish with its bold flavours.
I had a slight case of the heretics myself and added a handful of frozen peas to the sauce, primarily for the reason that I was out of Parsley. Not the same taste I realise, but it did give a much needed ‘green’ element to the dish.
It seems a shame that Kedgeree is not as well loved as it was in the early 20th Century. It is a nutritious dish, filling and tasty. It is also, despite its Indian roots, a delightfully British dish that deserves to be rediscovered.
N.B. Sam at Becks and Posh has organised an event to celebrate the wonder that is British Cuisine, the round-up to be posted on St Georges Day (23rd April). I would urge any other British food bloggers (or lovers of British food - I know you're out there!) to blog about your favourite British dish, whether it's fish and chips, toad in the hole or Murrey Mints!
KEDGEREE from The Fish Store by Lindsay BarehamServes 2-3
Ingredients:
300g Basmati Rice, rinsed in a sieve and drained
2 Hard Boiled Eggs (or more depending on your tastes)
300g Smoked Haddock, preferably undyed if you can get it
1 Bay Leaf
4 or 5 Peppercorns
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
300ml Milk
50g Butter
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
Handful of Frozen Peas (optional)
Chopped Parsley
100ml Double Cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
METHOD
Hard boil you eggs to the level of doneness that you like. I prefer my yolks to be barely set. These can be boiled in advance and kept unpeeled in the fridge until you are ready for them (remove them from the fridge as you start preparing the rest of the dish though, so they come up to room temperature – it never did Columbo any harm).
Place the rinsed rice into a large pan and cover with 450ml of cold water. Bring up to the boil then turn down to the lowest setting and cover.
Leave for ten minutes then remove from the heat but leave covered for another 10 minutes. I forgot about removing the lid and the rice was still fine though.
In a large frying pan, place the haddock and cover with the milk. Throw in the Bay Leaf and Peppercorns and simmer for five minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
Once the fish is cooked, reserve the cooking liquor. Flake the fish into a separate bowl, discarding any bone and the skin (my dogs ate the skin).
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over a medium low heat and sweat down the onions until they are completely soft and golden.
Throw in the curry powder and flour and cook for a minute or two to get rid of the powdery taste.
Pour in the milk and bring to the boil.
Add the frozen peas if using.
Turn down to a gentle simmer, stirring until it thickens, then leave to cook gently for five minutes.
Meanwhile, tip the rice into a large warm serving dish.
After five minutes, add the cream and flaked haddock to the sauce. Combine gently and taste for seasoning. You may find you need some salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the rice and mix carefully to avoid breaking up the flakes of fish.
Sprinkle over the parsley and decorate with the hard boiled egg which you will have cut into quarters.
Serve and enjoy!
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