Kedgeree is one of those quintessentially British dishes, dating back to the 1800’s, that’s easier to make than you think plus I’ve made it even easier. It’s a lovely mixture of creamy eggs, fish and rice with the gentle perfume of Indian spices. My version is inspired by a recipe by the cook Roxy Beaujolais which uses salmon instead of smoked haddock. It’s perfect for a light Christmas Eve supper, or as a New Years Eve supper bearing in mind it only takes about twenty minutes to cook. It’s also perfect for dinner for two.

Recipe

Serves 4 for brunch. 2 for dinner or lunch. You can double or triple the quantities depending on how many people are eating.

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
1 bay leaf
a tablespoon of butter or a tablespoon of coconut oil
1 large shallot or a small onion finely sliced
pinch of turmeric
pinch of cumin
1 bag of pre-cooked brown or white basmati rice from the supermarket
3 eggs
2 tablespoons double cream or yoghurt (or coconut cream or dairy free yoghurt)
chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon

How:
Boil the eggs for 10 minutes if you want them hard boiled or about 5-6 minutes if you want them soft yoked, which I like, then place in cold water before peeling.
Put the salmon fillets and bay leaves into a pan and pour enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil and then turn off heat. The fish is now cooked.
Drain the fillets and discard the bay leaf. Flake the fillets into smaller chunks with a fork and set aside.
Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft.
Add the cooked rice, turmeric and cumin. Fry gently for 3-4 minutes.
Add the salmon and the cream and stir through.
Serve garnished with the sliced hard-boiled eggs, chopped parsley, and lemon wedges.

Lastly… the supposed history of kedgeree is that it’s a Victorian colonial version of an Indian dish called Khichri. Khichri is a simple dish made with rice and legumes dating back to the 1300s and is still made as comfort food or for someone who is ill. The British colonials re invented it adding fish and eggs and, violà, kedgeree was born.

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl