Keen for Kedgeree?

This retro Anglo-Indian breakfast dish of Kedgeree is just about perfect for the increasingly cooler weather. Save this beauty for the weekend or for whenever you have leftover cooked rice or boiled eggs. The rice is spiced with curry powder and then smoked fish is added to it as well as quartered boiled eggs.

This recipe is based on one from my mother's weathered Good Housekeeping tome. They don't make books this size any more. It was so big and so leafed through (mostly by yours truly) that it actually split in half so we have several volumes, like a set of encyclopedias. The original recipe is simplicity itself. In fact it doesn't even use curry powder but after having it in Scotland and from browsing through other recipes, curry powder is a must (and it really adds so much).

Modern variations of Kedgeree add a lot-specifically poached fish or coddled or poached eggs. I kept this simple which is not to proclaim that this is more pure or true to style. I am just lazy when it comes to morning preparation. Sleep is the only thing that I will opt over food. I'm a cat, what can I say?

It was difficult to locate haddock, the fish usually used for kedgeree so I subbed it with an easier to obtain fish, hot smoked trout. I called around to a few places and almost ran myself ragged trying to find it before making the executive decision to use hot smoked trout because in the grand scheme of things it's not that big a decision. And after I bought the smoked trout I was almost run over by one of those supermarket cart transporters. A thought flashed through my mind. "I can't die now!"" I said to myself. "I have so many questions. What really happened in the elevator between Solange Knowles and Jay Z? And I need to make and taste this kedgeree!".

So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried kedgeree? And are you best in the mornings or the evenings? And what do you think really happened in the elevator between Solange and Jay Z?

Kedgeree

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

• 2-3 tablespoons curry powder*
• 100g/3.5ozs. butter
• 1 smoked trout, filleted
• 3 boiled eggs, peeled
• 3 cups cooked rice (I used brown basmati)
• 3/4 cup peas
• Salt for seasoning to taste
• 1/2 lemon thinly sliced into half moons
• 3 tablespoons chives/parsley

I like Baba's Meat Curry Powder available at large Asian grocery stores

Step 1 - Chop up one of the eggs and mix it with the rice. Heat a frypan on medium high heat and without adding oil or butter dry fry the curry powder until fragrant. Add the butter and cook for 2 minutes or so until the butter starts to brown and smell nutty.

Step 2 - Add the rice and stir in the peas. Fry and gently toss until the rice is coated in the spiced butter. Add the trout into the pan and fry until heated through. Season with salt and add chives and lemon slices and serve.