Saturday, November 20, 2010

Kedgeree



Kedgeree!
     English Indian fusion food was very chic in the Victorian English days.  Kedgeree was an Indian lentil bean and rice based dish before the English arrived.  Curry spices, lentils, fish and egg made Kedgeree an incredibly good tasting Victorian English breakfast dish. 
     Once Kedgeree made its way back to England, it became a favorite breakfast for the elite.  Later, Kedgeree became a popular recipe for using leftovers from the previous meal.  The Scottish cook a version of Kedgeree that has no curry spices or lentils. 
     Most old British Isle Kedgeree recipes used a white fish, like haddock.  In India, fish like dried sardines, salt cod and bonito were used to make Kedgeree.  I make a few different styles of Kedgerees.  This recipe is similar to the first Kedgerees cooked on English soil after the recipe and ingredients were brought back to England.  Kedgeree is a delicious way to start a day!
     Recipe:  Boil or steam 1 cup of long grain white rice till the rice is fully cooked. 
     Set the rice aside.  Boil a handful of dried lentils with water in a saute pan over high heat.  (Only add enough water to barely cover the lentils.  Add water if necessary as the lentils reconstitute.  Try not to have too much excess liquid in the pan.  Lentils only take about 25 minutes to cook.)
     Cook the lentils till the lentils become tender.
     Add 3 pinches of turmeric.
     Add 3 pinches garam masala curry powder.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add a small squeeze of lemon juice.
     Add 1 clove of minced garlic.
     Add a small handful of minced onion.
     Simmer over medium low heat, till the flavors meld.  (About 10 minutes.) 
     Add 3 pats of unsalted butter.
     Add 1/2 cup of cream. 
     Stir and slowly reduce the mixture.  (The mixture should look a little bit "saucy."  When the rice is added, the sauce will be absorbed by the rice.)
     Add 1 cup of the reserved cooked long grain white rice.
     Add about 4 to 6 ounces of one of these kinds of cooked fish:  reconstituted flaked dried sardines, Moroccan sardines, flaked poached bonito or reconstituted salt cod.  (I used cleaned and flaked Moroccan sardines.  If you prefer a light white fish like the English do, then use poached fresh cod or haddock.)
     Cook the rice and fish over medium low heat. 
     Stir occasionally. 
     Simmer till the Kedgeree is hot and the fish becomes fully cooked. The cream curry should be clinging to the rice.
     Add a few pinches of chopped parsley.
     Add a chopped hard boiled egg.
     Do not stir! 
     Spoon the Kedgeree onto a plate and garnish with a parsley sprig.
     Hearty and delicious!  I prefer authentic flavors, so the pinkish brown meat of true sardines was my choice of fish for this Kedgeree.  True sardines are not what is sold as sardines in grocery stores.  Most cans of sardines are actually cheap herring.  Morocco, the North Sea and India are areas where true sardines are netted.  The flavor of this early Victorian English Kedgeree is incredibly yummy! ...  Shawna

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