by Patrick Boniface

Created on: August 07, 2011   Last Updated: November 10, 2011

Kedgeree has sometimes been described, somewhat unfairly I hasten to add, as a way of using leftovers but it can be an exciting and rewarding meal in its own right too. The history of this dish is widely regarded to have originated in Indian cuisine as a dish called Khichri which comprised of lentils and rice. When the British were in India during Colonial Times the dish caught on in popularity and it successfully made the return trip to Great Britain. An alternative option for the heritage of the dish is that Scottish troops being sent to India took a traditional dish from the Highlands to India, where it was transformed into Kedgeree before again making the return journey to the heart of the British Empire and to a wider and appreciative audience. 

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients.

50 grams or 2 ounces of butter

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 large onions which need to be sliced

4 medium sized free range eggs

2 tablespoons of medium curry powder

four hundred grams or 13 ounces of cooked basmati rice

Two hundred and fifty grams or 8 ounces of leftover cooked sea bass with the skin and any bones removed first, although you could choose to use Tuna, Salmon or Haddock for this dish with superb results too.

4 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

plus some lemon wedges to serve.

Firstly melt the butter in a large saute pan along with the olive oil before adding in the sliced onions. Remember to season with pepper and salt to taste and then allow for around 10 minutes for the onions to soften and turn a nice golden brown color. Meanwhile boil the eggs for around 7 minutes. When you remove the eggs from the heat place them immediately under cold running water to cool them quickly.

Once you have the eggs out of their shells cut into fours, with the yolks still slightly soft but not runny.

By now the onions should be nicely softened and to the pan add the curry powder and continue to fry for around another minute. Add the cooked basmati rice to the pan and stir until the rice has picked up all the heat from the pan and is also coated in a generous layer of onion and curry powder. Now add the sea bass flakes into the pan and heat gently for a few minutes remembering to stir gently. Add the egg sections and scatter some of the parsley before serving on a plate together with the lemon wedges.

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