Jacqs Fried Rice 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:

• 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.

ASIAN-SPICED KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• This is because the easiest way to poach salmon for this dish is to do it in the oven. So: pour the water into a roasting pan, add the lime leaves and then the salmon. Cover the pan with foil, put in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes, by which time the salmon should be tender. Remove the pan from the oven and drain the liquid off into a pitcher. Keep the fish warm simply by replacing the foil on the pan.
• Melt the butter in a wide, heavy saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid, and add the oil to stop the butter burning. Soften the onion in the pan and add the spices, then keep cooking till the onion is slightly translucent and suffused with soft perfume of the spices. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon so that it's all well coated. There's not enough onion to give a heavy coating: just make sure the rice is fragrantly slicked.
• Pour in the reserved liquid from the pitcher, about 2 1/4 cups, and stir before covering with the lid and cooking gently for 15 minutes. If your stove is vociferous you may need a flame tamer.
• At the end of the cooking time, when the rice is tender and has lost all chalkiness, turn off the heat, remove the lid, cover the pan with a dish towel and then replace the lid. This will help absorb any extra moisture form the rice. It is also the best way to let the rice stand without getting sticky or cold, which is useful when you've got a few friends and a few dishes to keep your eye on.
• Just before you want to eat, drain off any extra liquid that's collected in the dish with the salmon, then flake the fish with a fork. Add to it the rice, egg, cilantro, lime juice and a drop or 2 of fish sauce. Stir gently to mix - I use a couple of wooden paddles or spatulas - and taste to see if you want any more lime juice or fish sauce. Sprinkle over the zest from the 2 juiced halves of the lime and serve. I love it served just as it is in the roasting dish, but if you want to, and I often do (consistency is a requirement of a recipe but not of a cook), decant into large plate before you add the lime zest, then surround with lime segments and add the zest and a small handful of freshly chopped cilantro.
• This is one of those rare dishes that manages to be comforting and light at the same time. And - should you have leftovers, which I wouldn't count on - it's heavenly eaten, as all leftovers demand to be, standing up, straight from the fridge.

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.

SMOKED HADDOCK KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Melt 50g butter in a large saucepan (about 20cm across), add 1 finely chopped medium onion and cook gently over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.
• Stir in 3 split cardamom pods, ¼ tsp turmeric, 1 small cinnamon stick and 2 bay leaves, then cook for 1 minute.
• Tip in 450g basmati rice and stir until it is all well coated in the spicy butter.
• Pour in 1 litre chicken or fish stock, add ½ teaspoon salt and bring to the boil, stir once to release any rice from the bottom of the pan. Cover with a close-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and leave to cook very gently for 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring some water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Add 750g un-dyed smoked haddock fillet and simmer for 4 minutes, until the fish is just cooked. Lift it out onto a plate and leave until cool enough to handle.
• Hard-boil 3 eggs for 8 minutes.
• Flake the fish, discarding any skin and bones. Drain the eggs, cool slightly, then peel and chop.
• Uncover the rice and remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods if you wish to. Gently fork in the fish and the chopped eggs, cover again and return to the heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the fish has heated through.
• Gently stir in almost all the 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and season with a little salt and black pepper to taste. Serve scattered with the remaining parsley and garnished with 1 lemon, cut into wedges.

JACQ'S FRIED RICE KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Place the fish, milk and spices into a pan and boil slowly until the fish is cooked. It should be flaky and pull apart quite easily. The milk mostly boils away but you will need to throw the balance away.
• Pull the fish apart gently and remove any bones. Keep aside.
• Put a small amount of the butter (or olive oil) into a pan and gently fry the onions and zucchini and mushrooms until tender.
• Add in the fish and mix together gently.
• Add in the steamed veggies and mix gently.
• Add the remaining butter (or olive oil) and then the rice and mix gently. Let the heat cook the rice a little further while you are slowly mixing.
• Add in the chopped boiled eggs and stir gently.
• Serve with a salad and have some sauce near you should you desire!
• This can be frozen and re-heated - we like to take it for lunch the next day so I always make extra! You can substitute the veggies and the fish. It can be for lunch or dinner.