28.6.12

Kedgeree risotto


It seems that every minute two or three cookbooks are published that have the word "seasonal" in the title. Or at the very least, the subtitle.
Which is all very well, if you´re in California, or Spain, where things grow plentiful under the generous sun. But see, now I live in a place that has two seasons: bad, and worse.
The calendar says I should be going for the salads and the first gazpachos, the bowls of cherries, the lightly grilled fish, the ice cream. But my eyes see clammy fog, and my stomach says to hell with all that. I want stodge.

Kedgeree risotto is a beautiful dish. The real thing is a sort of pilaf, served with boiled eggs, but this is much better. A creamy risotto, light yellow and faintly smoky from the haddock, flecked with parsley and topped with a runny five-minute egg. Really good stuff. And if you can find it, samphire, that weird crunchy seaweed, is a great last minute addition.

When I make it in Spain I have no smoked haddock, of course, so I proceed as for a normal risotto and add smoked salmon or trout at the end.

The method is as for a normal risotto, except that you start by poaching the smoked haddock for a very short while, and setting it aside. This fishy smoky water is the stock for your rice.

Start with onions in butter and oil, as always, and when they´re transparent, add a spoonful of curry powder. You heard me. Curry powder. None of your fancy freshly ground spice pastes, please. The yellow stuff from the jar.
When that smells good add the rice, then the stock, etc. As you know, I always use a pressure cooker for this, so just give it double the volume of stock to rice, lock, cook five minutes at high pressure and there you are.
If you do the normal method then it´s the stirring, adding stock, etc. A very soothing, gentle way of relaxing after a long day and enjoying a glass of wine, if you must.

While this is happening drop eggs into boiling water, and simmer them for five minutes, too. Chop parsley, and when the rice is done, add the flaked fish and the parsley.
Serve with the peeled eggs on top.

10 comentarios:

Anónimo dijo...

The calendar says I should be going for the salads and the first gazpachos, the bowls of cherries, the lightly grilled fish, the ice cream. But my eyes see clammy fog, and my stomach says to hell with all that. I want stodge.

Made me laugh out loud! I love your writing style. Even more impressive that English is your second language. ;-)

Anónimo dijo...

The calendar says I should be going for the salads and the first gazpachos, the bowls of cherries, the lightly grilled fish, the ice cream. But my eyes see clammy fog, and my stomach says to hell with all that. I want stodge.

Made me laugh out loud! I love your writing style. Even more impressive that English is your second language. ;-)

Anónimo dijo...

Whats the meaning of Tinta Antes y Tinta Después in you drawing? Después de qué? Almost looks like a game of "mark the 5 differences" hehe.

pretty drawing too.

Sangeetha

lobstersquad dijo...

Littlecosas: nothing funny about this fog, though...Glad youi liked it, thanks
Sancheeta: sorry. Yes. I'm trying out a new watercolour style, and one has the ink first then the colour, and the other viceversa. It's the view from my window

Esther dijo...

lo que daría yo por un gazpacho... pero manchego, o unas migas, algo bien potente, hasta una sopa castellana!!!.
Pero llegará el gazpacho, aunque sea al coop (do you have a clubcard?) y en tetrabrik. Al menos espero, porque dos meses más así y me convierto en smoked haddock para el risotto.

Anónimo dijo...

So yummy. It was almost 100degrees here today, and it will be still 80 at midnight....so I am jealous of your COLD and FOG! ;-) Wish I could make and eat this, but in this heat watermelon has been my diet

Michelle dijo...

Nice blog. Instead of the food you have drawings to represent your thoughts. And I love your recipes too. Truly delectable!

Lynda Bay dijo...

I've been making risotto for months but it still end up different. haha

Anónimo dijo...

your blog is so good to read, so i have nominated it for one lovely blog award

Giulianos gourmet foods dijo...

Good blog, love the drawings. I have tried to make good risotto and it always is sticky.

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