Dana’s Kedgeree
[from the stabenow.com vaults, November 21, 2011]
I’m staying with friends, and my host Rob smoked a halibut filet for another, non-meat-eater friend, Jacqueline Winspear, who came to dinner. We had a little less than a pound of the halibut left, and were wondering what to do with it. Jackie, British, said, “It’d be good in kedgeree.”
Now, I have eaten kedgeree myself, in Ireland, and I thought this was a fine idea. So…
Melt four tablespoons of butter in a little olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.
When the butter stops foaming, about a minute, add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cayenne and a tablespoon of curry powder.
Stir it around for about a minute, and add about a cup of rice. I used what was left of a box of Chinese takeout rice, heated for 30 seconds in the microwave to bring out the moisture.
After about a minute, during which you will suddenly realize that every Filipino you know will take one look and say “That’s just fried rice!” add the flaked, smoked halibut, stir it in, and cook for about a minute.
Sieve four hard-boiled eggs through a cheese grater (the big hole, Rob’s tip). Mix half the sieved eggs into what is now kedgeree.
Put the kedgeree on a plate and garnish with the rest of the sieved eggs and some chopped parsley.
Serve immediately. It’s really good, and now I’m wondering if it would work with smoked salmon.
Cook’s tips
- The recipe didn’t call for it, but it needed a little salt. Not much, just a shake.
- Here’s Wikipedia on kedgeree.
Cook’s homage
- The kedgeree recipe above was based on the one on page 42 in the TimeLife Recipes: The Cooking of the British Isles cookbook, 1969.
