Nifs London Kedgeree Food

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.

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.

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:

• TIP: ghee is butter with the milk proteins and salts removed,which means it is less likely to burn.
• Boil the eggs for 10 minutes.
• Hold under cold running water.
• Put the fish and bay leaves in a shallow pan with enough water to cover.
• Bring to the boil,cover,and simmer for about 5 minutes,until cooked through.
• Remove from pan and set aside.
• When cool enough to handle,remove skin from fish,flake into chunks and set aside.
• Cook the rice in salted water for about 10 minutes and drain.
• Refresh in cold water,drain again,and leave in the fridge until needed.
• Melt the butterghee in a pan over a low heat.
• Add the ginger,onion and garlic.
• Soften for about 5 minutes,then add the curry powder and mustard seeds.
• Cook for a further few minutes,then add the chopped tomatoes and lemon juice.
• Quarter the eggs.
• Add fish and rice to pan and gently heat through.
• Add the eggs,coriander and chilli and stir gently.
• Place in a warm serving dish.
• Mix the chopped coriander and natural yogurt,and serve with the kedgeree.

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.

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.