Kedgeree

It's Christmas Eve. The thoughts of the food mountain you're going to consume tomorrow lingers in your mind. What to have today? You don't want the bother of cooking a big meal but you need something substantial for the boozey night ahead (or is it only in my house that Christmas Eve is a session?!). Let me present to you the humble Kedgeree.

The Kedgeree is a traditional British dish from colonial India but it works great at anytime of the day (or night) and can also be used as a base for using up leftover meats and fish the next day. Feel free to be a bit more generous with the fish. I was purposely stingy here but you could easily double the amount for a more pronounced smokey flavour. The curry paste is very nontraditional but I find that it adds a great deal to the flavour with minimum effort. I would also serve with some finely chopped coriander but this proved impossible to get hold of in Newbridge on the day!

Serves 4

250g Basmati Rice (well rinsed)
4 Eggs
275g Undyed Smoked Haddock
Milk
2 Bay Leaves
3 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
2 tsp Curry Powder
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
1 tsp Thai Green Curry Paste
handful of Frozen Peas (defrosted) 
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Put plenty of boiling water into a saucepan and add one bay leaf, a little salt and the rice. Bring back to the boil and cook for 12 minutes, adding the eggs to the saucepan for the final 6-7 minutes. Drain the rice and eggs and leave to run under cold water for a few minutes until cold. Discard the bay leaf. Peel and chop the eggs into quarters.

2. Meanwhile put the haddock into a pan and cover with milk. Add the other bay leaf and bring to a light simmer. Poach the fish for about 6-10 minutes until it flakes.Remove from the milk, remove the skin and flake the fish into chunks.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Season and stir well. Cook for 5-7 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the curry powder, turmeric and curry paste. Stir well and allow to cook for a further two minutes. Add the cold rice, stir well to coat and continue to cook until the rice heats up, stir frequently to avoid burning. Add the fish and egg and fold into the rice. Add the peas and cook for 5-6 minutes over a low heat, stirring gently every so often.