This rice sublime dish takes a little effort but is quite forgiving as long as you don’t overcook the rice or the fish.
Below is my recipe but don’t feel you have to follow by the letter as this dish is a good way to use up any leftover vegetables and most go quite well.
I often reduce the amount of rice slightly and add some small pieces of boiled potato.
Ingredients
- 400g undyed smoked haddock fillets on the skin. If you prefer, use dyed haddock.
- 4 Eggs hard boiled, cooled and peeled
- 250g basmati rice, rinsed several times in cold water to remove most of the starch
- 100g Frozen peas (optional)
- 50g Real butter
- 2 Tbsp Rapeseed oil
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 2 Cloves fresh garlic finely grated or chopped
- 1 Heaped Tsp mild curry powder or more to your taste
- 4 Tbsp Double cream
- Handful chopped fresh coriander or parsley leaves
- 1 Lemon quartered
- Freshly cracked black pepper to season
Method
Get the eggs boiling first covered with water. Bring to the boil and boil for five minutes. Turn off the heat and leave them to finish cooking in the hot liquid for 5 minutes then drain.
Meanwhile place the haddock in a deep frying pan with the skin side up. Cover with water and add the bay leaves. Bring up to a boil then simmer gently covered with a lid until the fish are cooked through this should take around 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Discard the bay leaves and drain the water off and reserve for cooking the rice. Place the fish on a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm.
Place the reserved cooking water into a large pan. Add more water if needed to take it up to 525ml total liquid. Bring to the boil and add the rice and stir well.
Bring back to the boil then simmer for 8-9 minutes stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid and take off the heat. Leave for 5 minutes to absorb the rest of the smoky fish liquor.
Melt the butter with the rapeseed oil in the large frying pan having given it a simple wipe over. Then add the onions and gently soften. Add the curry powder and garlic and stir in for a few minutes until the aromas are released.
Add the rice, peas, cream and stir in well. Flake the haddock off the skin and add to the pan stirring it in well. Cut the eggs in half and place white side down bedded into the rice and likewise bed in the 4 pieces of lemon skin side down.
Place a lid over for 3-4 minutes to warm through then taste and season with a few cracks of the black pepper if needed. Sprinkle over the parsley or coriander and serve ensuring each portion is roughly equal and each plate gets 1 lemon piece to squeeze and 2 pieces of boiled egg.
Gavin McArdell
