Fish, eggs & rice

Kedgeree is not a dish that appeals to everyone but its a favourite of mine. When we were little we knew it as "fish, eggs and rice". Mum would make it as a treat for dinner when Dad was away as he wasn't a fan. Mum's version was simply cooked rice, canned smoked fish and topped with a soft-boiled egg. This version is based on Lois Daish's recipe from A Good Year - one of my favourite cook books. It has a few more ingredients than Mum's but is just a delicious.

Miriam - I was debating whether to post this or not as Kedgeree is possibly your idea of a nightmare on a plate as it contains two of your least favourite foods: smoked fish and soft-boiled eggs. The only thing that could make this dish any worse for you was if it was sprinkled with coconut. But its an easy recipe to adapt - it would be lovely made with unsmoked white fish and the eggs can be cooked as soft or firm as you like, or left out altogether. Kedgeree sometimes appears on cafe menus as a brunch-type dish but I think its great at any time of day.


Kedgeree (about 4 servings)

Start by cooking 2 cups of long grain rice (I use a rice cooker). While its cooking caramelise the onions. Lois' recipe calls for crispy fried onions but I make mine more like caramelised onions as when I try to make the crispy ones they end up burnt.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil and cooked the onions over a moderate heat for about 40 minutes, stirring often, until caramelised. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar towards the end if it needs it.

Softly boil 4 eggs and set aside.

Now start putting it all together. Soften a finely diced onion in a little oil, add two cloves of crushed garlic and a chunk of finely chopped fresh ginger and cook until garlic starts to brown. Melt in two tablespoons of butter, add two teaspoons of curry powder and cook for another two minutes. Add the cooked rice and stir to combine. Add ¼ cup of cream, the juice of a lemon and about 400g of flaked smoked fish (I used hot-smoked salmon this time but any smoked fish is good). Sprinkle in chopped fresh parsley if you have some. Gently stir to combine.

Peel the soft-boiled eggs and carefully slice in half. Serve the rice in shallow bowls, topped with onions and an egg with a lemon wedge for squeezing.