Buttery Kedgeree Food

ULTIMATE KEDGEREE

Steps:

• For the crisp onions, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions with a pinch of salt (which helps to stop them burning), then cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, about 20-25 mins. When done, spread on paper towels and leave to crisp up. While the onions are frying, put both fish in a frying pan with the chilli. Pour the milk over, cover and simmer for 4 mins. Take off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 mins to finish gently cooking the fish.
• Meanwhile, heat the 3 tbsp oil in a deep frying or sauté pan (with a lid). Add the onion, curry leaves, cardamom and cinnamon and fry until the onion is soft and golden, about 7-8 mins, stirring often. Lift the fish from the milk with a slotted spoon, discard the skin and any bones, cover to keep warm and set aside. Make the milk up to 600ml/1pt with water. Rinse the rice in warm water in a colander, drain, then stir it into the onion. Keep stirring for 1 min so the rice is coated. Pour in the milk mix and stir in the turmeric. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 mins, covered, lowering the heat if it starts to stick on the bottom.
• When the rice is tender, remove from the heat, drop the butter on top so it melts in, then lay the whole pieces of fish on the rice. Cover and leave for the flavours to mingle. Meanwhile, put the eggs in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil, then boil for 6 mins (for lightly boiled). Remove from the heat and plunge into cold water, cracking the shells against the side of the pan. Peel off the shells and quarter the eggs.
• To serve, break the fish into big pieces with a fork, throw in the coriander and stir gently to mix without breaking up the fish, adding the eggs at the end. Season, scatter crisp onions on top and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Place the haddock in a large frying pan, skin-side up. Pour over 500ml/18fl oz water, add the bay leaves and bring the water to a gentle simmer. Cook the fish for 8-10 minutes until it is just done and flakes easily. Drain in a colander set over a bowl, reserving the cooking liquor, and discard the bay leaves.
• Pour the cooking liquor into a saucepan and stir in the rice. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the rice very gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for 3-5 minutes more. By this time it should have absorbed all the fish liquor.
• While the rice is cooking, bring some water to the boil in a saucepan. Add the eggs and cook for 8 minutes. Drain them in a sieve under cold running water and when cool enough to handle, peel them carefully and set aside. Cook the peas, if using, in a small saucepan of boiling water and drain.
• Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion over a low heat for 5 minutes until well softened, stirring occasionally. Add the curry powder and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Place the cooked rice into the pan and stir into the onions. Add the peas, cream, parsley and a few twists of ground black pepper.
• Flake the fish into chunky pieces and add these to the pan. Gently stir in the lemon juice and cook for 1-2 minutes. Cut the eggs into quarters and place them on top of the rice. Cover the pan with a lid and heat through for 2-3 minutes or until the eggs are warm, then serve.

BUTTERY KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Place the haddock fillets in a saucepan and cover them with 2 cups cold water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, put on a lid, and simmer gently for about 8 minutes.
• Drain off the water into a large measuring cup and reserve. Transfer the haddock to a dish, cover with foil and keep warm.
• Using the same saucepan, melt 2 oz of the butter and soften the onion in it for 5 minutes. Next stir in the curry powder, cook for half a minute, then stir in the rice and add 2 cups of the haddock cooking water.
• Stir once and, when it comes to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook gently, for 15 minutes or until the rice grains are tender.
• When the rice has been cooking for 10 minutes, remove and discard the skins from the fish and flake the flesh.
• When the rice is ready, remove it from the heat and fork in the flaked fish, hard-boiled eggs, parsley, lemon juice and the remaining 2 oz butter.
• Cover the pan with a folded dish towel and place it on very gentle heat for 5 minutes.
• Tip the kedgeree quickly on to a hot serving dish, season to taste and serve.

KEDGEREE

Steps:

• For the rice, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large, lidded pan, add 1 finely chopped large onion, then gently fry for 5 mins until softened but not coloured.
• Add 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric and 2 tsp curry powder, season with salt, then continue to fry until the mix starts to go brown and fragrant; about 3 mins.
• Add 300g rinsed easy-cook long grain rice and stir in well. Add 600ml water, stir, then bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover for 10 mins.
• Take off the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 10-15 mins more. The rice will be perfectly cooked if you do not lift the lid before the end of the cooking.
• Meanwhile, put 300g skin-on undyed smoked haddock fillet and 2 bay leaves in a frying pan, cover with 300ml milk, then poach for 10 mins until the flesh flakes. Remove from the milk, peel away the skin, then flake the flesh into thumb-sized pieces.
• Place 4 eggs in a pan, cover with water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Leave for 4½-5 mins, plunge into cold water, then peel and cut the eggs into quarters.
• Gently mix the fish, eggs, a handful each of chopped parsley and coriander, and rice together in the pan. Serve hot, sprinkled with a few extra herbs.

KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Prepare rice according to package directions. Drain, and set aside to cool. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop. Set aside.
• Place the haddock in a small skillet with the bay leaf. Pour in enough milk just to cover the fish. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook gently until fish flakes. Remove fish from the pan, flake with a fork, and set aside. Discard milk and bay leaf.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in curry powder, then add the peas and onions. Fry for a couple of minutes, then add the cooked rice, eggs, and fish. Stir gently, and season with salt and pepper. Heat through, and serve with yogurt.

EASY KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat an ovenproof saucepan or flameproof casserole over a medium heat and toast the curry powder for 1 min. Stir in the rice to coat it in the curry powder, then pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, then lay the haddock on top. Cover. Cook in the oven for 30 mins.
• Carefully remove from the oven. Leave to rest for a minute, then stir through the peas while breaking up the haddock and fluffing the rice. Season to taste, then serve.

CLASSIC KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Heat the oil and cook the onion in a pan with a well-fitting lid until soft but not coloured. Add the spices and some salt and continue to cook until golden and fragrant, about 4 mins. Sprinkle over the rice and stir it well so that all the grains are coated. Stir in 400ml water, increase the heat, cover the pan, then bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn to a simmer and cook for 10 mins. Turn the heat off and leave to steam, covered, for 20 mins. The rice should be perfectly cooked if you don't lift the lid before the end of the time.
• Place eggs in a pan and cover with cold water, put on a high heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 mins for soft, or 5-6 mins for hard-boiled. Plunge into cold water until cool enough to peel, then quarter.
• Meanwhile, pour the milk over the haddock in a shallow pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Poach for 5-8 mins until just cooked through and flesh flakes easily. Remove from the milk, peel off and discard the skin and flake the fish.
• Gently stir fish, herbs and seasoning into the rice, top with the eggs and serve.