Kedgeree

Kedgeree began life in India as a dish of spiced rice and lentils. The dish is thought to have been brought back to britain by scottish regiments hankering for indian flavours, and, with fish, generally smoked haddock being used instead of lentils, the dish became a popular breakfast dish in a victorian england where anglo-indian cuisine was incredibly fashionable.

This kedgeree, inspired by a recipe I found in Feast is cooked like a risotto, this is partially because I particularly enjoy the sticky starchiness of a risotto, but also because it is the only way I know to properly cook rice. Though this is traditionally served for breakfast, the idea of cooking either fish or risotto before midday makes me feel queasy, and I prefer this as a simple supper instead.

Start by poaching your fish, place the smoked haddock fillets in a deep frying pan, and sprinkle with mixed herbs and pepper, cover with the water and bring to the boil, covering the pan with either a lid or some foil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes and remove from the heat. Remove the fish from the water with tongs and transfer the liquid into a measuring jug, top up with boiling water to a litre, add the stock cubes and stir to combine.

Wash and finely chop a leek and place half the butter and the oil into a large frying pan, heat to a medium heat and add the leek, cooking until it softens. Add the rice and turn it in the oil until the grains are soused and slick with the oil. Add the spices and the lemon zest and mix, start pouring in the stock and stirring, until the stock is absorbed before adding more, continue until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Remove the skin from the haddock and flake the flesh with your fingers, add it to the rice and add the remaining butter and the juice of half a small lemon and stir to combine, serve, if wished, with a hard boiled egg.

ingredients

250g smoked haddock
500ml water
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsb mixed herbs

1 leek
300g rice
2 stock cubes (or enough granules to make a litre of stock)
30g butter
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin 
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 lemon

hard boiled egg, optional

Ultimate French Toast

Breakfast wise, this weekend was a very good weekend, saturday commenced in a most civilized manner, with a full english (thankfully not cooked by me) and a mimosa in the garden. On sunday, I was left to my own devices, and some eggs and bread left over from saturday's fry up, along with some creme fraiche bought for last week's carbonara led to the creation of some of the best french toast I've ever eaten.

Start by cracking an egg into a glass bowl, this recipe will make enough for either two thin slices of bread, or for one doorstep slice. To the egg add 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche and a tablespoon of icing sugar, and beat with a fork to combine until the mixture is smooth and no lumps of creme fraiche are visible.

To the eggy mixture add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of nutmeg, stir to combine. Place the bread on a small plate, and pour over the egg mixture, drain off the excess and turn over the bread so that both sides are covered in the mixture.

Heat a knob of butter in a small skillet to a medium high heat, and gently place the soggy bread in the pan, cook it for a few minutes and then flip it, until it is browned of both sides, and serve, with syrup.

ingredients

1 egg
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 knob butter

Mediterranean Quesadilla

This recipe was created, in part, to satisfy a need to marry the ease and simple nature of a quesadilla, with the rich yet simple flavours of the mediterranean. Late at night I often yearn for something like this, something hot and filling yet still light. Filled with soft chargrilled peppers and sharp cheddar cheese make one of the perfect midnight snacks, and pottering round the kitchen in a silk kimono in the middle of the night is enough to make anyone feel like a domestic goddess.

Start by making the pesto, though if you are truly pressed for time bought pesto will suffice. Start by tearing up the basil leaves and putting them in a blender along with a clove of garlic peeled and crushed slightly, add a large pinch of sea salt flakes and a small glug of olive oil and blitz to a smooth viridescent paste, transfer the sauce to a bowl.

Add the can of tomatoes to the blender along with a large pinch of sea salt flakes, a peeled and crushed clove of garlic and some tomato concentrate, process and set aside.

Deseed the peppers and slice them into thin strips, place a griddle pan on a high heat with no fat, and add the strips of pepper along with some sea salt, cook for a few minutes turning them until they are slightly blackened and have softened. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the peppers to a bowl.

Now, start to warm your griddle, while it is heating up, construct your quesadillas, take a soft corn tortilla and fold it gently in half, spread one half with the red tomato sauce and the other half with the green pesto. Cover the tomato sauce with the chargrilled peppers, and cover the pesto with grated cheddar cheese. Fold the tortilla in half and place gently on the griddle. After a few minutes, flip the quesadilla with a fish slice. Give the other side a few minutes and remove it from the pan onto a chopping board and cut the quesadilla in half. Serve on a warmed plate.

ingredients

2 soft wheat tortillas
2 peppers
60g grated cheddar
sea salt flakes

for the pesto
90g basil leaves
1 clove garlic
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
sea salt flakes

for the tomato sauce
150g peeled plum tomatoes
1 clove garlic
tomato concentrate
sea salt flakes

Rice n' Cheese

I'm rather proud of this dish, and it's even gotten housemate approval. I'm not the biggest fan of mac and cheese, the cheese sauce tends to be very heavy and claggy and if you don't use the right cheddar then it tends to also be flavourless. This recipe is based upon my desire to create a dish with all the creamy deliciousness of mac and cheese, but without the toil and stress of making a decent cheese sauce, something I don't find especially easy. I do specify an extra mature cheddar below, and this is very important, milder less piquant varieties won't provide the same depth of flavour or sharpness which is welcome in a smooth dish like this.

Instead of using pasta, I have used rice, or to be more specific, risotto. I included a recipe for cheddar cheese risotto on this blog a while back, and this is somewhat a variation on that. You will notice that the ingredients are significantly more scant than I normally supply, and this is very intentional, given that this dish is so rich, you will only be able to eat a relatively small portion, though you can double it up as you wish.

Start by peeling and finely chopping a quarter of a large red onion, and fry it gently in oil with a pinch of sea salt flakes until translucent but not browned. Add the rice and turn in the oil for a few minutes with a wooden spoon. Make up the vegetable stock, and add it a little at a time, stirring until the liquid has absorbed, and repeat, until all the stock has been soaked up and the rice is tender. Stir in some freshly ground black pepper and a little salt and remove from the heat.

Chop the cheddar into small chunks and add them to the risotto, stir until all the cheese has melted and combined with the rice, and transfer it all to a small ovenproof dish.

In a small bowl make the topping by mixing breadcrumbs with freshly grated parmesan and some ground black pepper, spoon over the top and bake in a medium hot oven for 15 minutes, or until the top has browned and is bubbling.

ingredients

200g arborio rice
600ml vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 red onion, diced
vegetable oil
50g extra mature cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs or matzo meal
2 tablespoons finely ground parmesan
salt & pepper

Spring Carbonara

Carbonara is a classic, and understandably so, the combination of salty pancetta and smooth, thick egg is wonderful, and this variation makes for a fantastic late night supper.

I came up with this dish in much the same way that I come up with many recipes, standing in the supermarket, waiting for inspiration. Thankfully my muse found me and by combining factory veg with some old eggs almost past their sell-by-date, this dish was born.

Start by prepping the veg, wipe and roughly dice the mushrooms and the bell pepper, top and tail the green beans and cut them into rough pieces.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, and start to cook the veg.

Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and add the mushrooms, stirring them with a wooden spoon until they brown, and add the pepper, put the green beans in a small saucepan and cover them with boiling water, bring to a simmer and cook until tender, drain and add to the frying pan, stirring to combine all the veg until it browns.

Crack two eggs into a small bowl and add two tablespoons of creme fraiche and a little salt and pepper and whisk, until combined.

Drain the pasta and add it to the frying pan with the vegetables, tossing to combine, put the pan on a low heat and pour over the egg mixture, leave the pan on the heat until the egg has thickened, cover with the finely grated parmesan and toss, until it is all combined, and serve.

ingredients

80g dried pasta

6 button mushrooms

50g fine green beans

1 red pepper

2 large eggs

2 tbsps creme fraiche

olive oil

salt & pepper