Kedgeree Rice Cooker Assisted Food

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.

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.

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 (RICE COOKER ASSISTED)

Steps:

• Put rice, salt and 2cups of water into rice cooker and turn on.
• When steam starts to escape, put the fish in the steaming basket over the rice - it needs 8 or so minutes depending on thickness to cook. It should finish about the same time as the rice is ready.
• Meanwhile, fry the onion in the oil in a skillet that has a lid and add the curry paste. Add the frozen peas after a few minutes to defrost and heat through.
• Remove skin from fish and flake.
• Tip the cooked rice into the skillet with the onion mixture and stir together well.
• Gently fold in the flaked fish, top with the boiled eggs and put lid on to warm through the dish over a gentle heat for a couple of minutes.
• Garnish with some chopped parsley and serve.

KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Simmer the haddock in 4 cups salted water for 10 to 15 minutes, but don't over cook. Drain the fish, saving the cooking water. Remove the skin and bones, and flake the fish, keep hot.
• Fry the onion gently in the butter with the garam masala and turmeric until softened.
• Cook the rice in the haddock water until tender, then drain and allow to dry out a little. Add the spiced fried onion to the rice and fold in the flaked fish and the roughly chopped eggs. Pour in the cream and add the quartered eggs. Season with salt, pepper and parsley.

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.

SMOKED MACKEREL KEDGEREE WITH SOFT-BOILED EGGS

Steps:

• Pour 500ml boiling water over the fish fillets and set aside. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the coriander seeds, curry leaves and mustard seeds, and cook until the seeds start to crackle, about 1 min or so. Add the onion, carrot, leek, coriander stalks, bay leaf and a pinch of salt, turn down the heat and cook for 8-10 mins. Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins more.
• Add the rice and stir-fry for a few mins, making sure that it doesn't stick. Drain the mackerel water into the pan, then stir in the spices and increase the heat. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down low, cover and cook for 15-20 mins. Remove from the heat and leave the rice to steam- cook with the lid on for 15 mins. (If the rice is still not cooked through, add some water and return to the heat for a few mins.)
• Peel and discard the mackerel skin. Flake up the flesh and stir it into the rice along with the cooked peas and butter - the mackerel should be warmed through by the residual heat - but if not, return to the heat for a couple of mins, stirring so it doesn't stick. Mix in the lime juice, then chop up two of the eggs and stir through.
• Serve topped with the remaining eggs cut into quarters, the coriander leaves and some pepper.

KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Fry the leek, chili pepper and curry powder in the butter until soft, add the peas, pepper and fry for a few minutes.
• Then add the rice, haddock and the eggs, fry for 5 minutes on a gentle heat until warmed through, be careful when you stir, you don't want to break up the fish and the eggs too much.
• If the mixture seems too dry add some poaching liquid or milk.
• Sprinkle the parsley over and serve.

QUICK CURRIED KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Cook the rice: Cut the green tops off the onions and roughly chop them, then roughly chop the white parts. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and tip in the white onions and the curry powder. Cook for a few minutes until the onions soften, then tip in the rice and stir to coat in the butter. Pour in the hot stock and bring to the boil. Stir once and boil for 5 minutes, then cover the pan with its lid and continue cooking the rice on the lowest possible heat for 15 minutes.
• Boil the eggs: While the rice is cooking, bring a small pan of water to simmering point. Lower in the eggs and simmer for 8-9 minutes until softly boiled. Move the pan to the sink and tip off the hot water, then fill the pan with cold water from the tap. Take out the eggs, then shell and roughly chop them.
• Finish the dish: Tip the rice into a serving dish, toss in the smoked salmon and the green onions and fork through. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Put the pieces of egg on top and serve.

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.

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.