Buttery Kedgeree

This was a typical breakfast dish in the days when grand Victorian breakfast dishes were spread out on handsome Victorian sideboards. Nowadays it is a very good lunch or late supper dish.

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This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course and Delia Smith's Complete Illustrated Cookery Course.

Method

First place the haddock fillets in a saucepan and cover them with 1 pint (570 ml) cold water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat, put on a lid, and simmer gently for about 8 minutes. Then drain off the water into a measuring jug and reserve. Transfer the haddock to a dish, cover with foil and keep it warm.

Now, using the same saucepan, melt 2 oz (50 g) of the butter and soften the onion in it for 5 minutes. Next stir in the curry powder, cook for half a minute, then stir in the measured rice and add 16 fl oz (450 ml) of the haddock cooking water. Stir once then, when it comes up to simmering point, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook, very gently, for 15 minutes or until the rice grains are tender.

When the rice has been cooking for 10 minutes, remove and discard the skins from the fish and flake the flesh. Then, when the rice is ready, remove it from the heat and fork in the flaked fish, hard-boiled eggs, parsley, lemon juice and the remaining 2 oz (50 g) butter. Now cover the pan with a folded tea towel and replace it on very gentle heat for 5 minutes. Then tip the kedgeree quickly on to a hot serving dish, season to taste and serve.

Menu suggestion: For a light lunch serve with buttered baby spinach.