Mums Light(ish) Kedgeree
Kedgeree is one of those old-fashioned breakfast classics. Although now considered a Scottish breakfast, the traditional dish is believed to have originated from the classic Indian dish of rice and lentils or beans called Khichari. The dish first appeared in a Scottish recipe book written by Stephana Malcom of Dumfriesshire in 1790. In the recipe book The Scottish Kitchen, written by Christopher Trotter for the National Trust for Scotland, the belief is that Kedgeree was reinvented by Scottish regiments who had tried and were now craving the tastes of India.
Fast forward to 2020 and Kedgeree is one of those dishes that is often overlooked on brunch menus. Full of rice and rich flavours, Kedgeree is often heavy so much so that it is perhaps not surprising that, for many, it has been replaced by the lighter smashed avocado and super fruit smoothies.
The question, however, is how you go about reinventing a classic dish whilst keeping the essence the same. Cast your mind back to 2016 where something of a food revival was happening to the humblest of veg. The cauliflower. It began with one woman in the US with two gluten intolerant kids who had cravings for pizza. This became the catalyst for Gail Baker who decided to quit her job in marketing to launch her business Caulipower selling frozen pizzas and baking mixes, gluten free and made from cauliflower.
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Nutritional expert and founder of theHAUTEbar, wellness trend tracking website, Heather Smith said that the popularity of the cauliflower was due to its low carb profile. ‘A 100-gram serving of white rice contains 150 calories, 34 grams of carbs, and one gram of fibre, while a similar portion of riced cauliflower contains just 25 calories, five grams of carbs, and triple the amount of fibre.’ It is easy to see why the health conscious would turn away from typical grains to go for something a lot lighter.
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The introduction of cauliflower rice to our shopping aisles not only shot the cauliflower to celebrity like status but was also joined by a couple of other veggie friends, the carrot and courgette who soon found themselves being 'spiralized' into 'courgetti' and 'cargetti'. Additionally, the gluten free and free-from markets have increased exponentially with a 40% sales increase from 2016 to 2017 and the industry making around £934 million in 2019.
The Business is now a multi million dollar brand
Replacing the traditional rice in Kedgeree with cauliflower not only makes this dish modern and more ‘on trend’, it makes it a lot healthier and not as heavy. Apart from the rice change, not much else has been altered in this dish. Like I said earlier on it is a classic and should remain traditional and true to itself in a way. The only other major change here is the addition of hollandaise sauce to the dish. This is, of course, optional. It turn the Kedgeree from paella in style to more risotto-esque whilst adding that extra bit of decadence to enjoy on a Sunday morning.
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2 Fillets Smoked Haddock
3 Eggs
Milk
Peas
Asparagus Tips
Curry Powder
Hollandaise Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Place three eggs in a pot and put on to boil for around ten minutes.
Cut the fish in half and put into a pot covering with milk. Put on a low heat to steadily heat the milk and cook the fish.
Put the cauliflower into a food processor and blend until it resembles grains of rice. If you don’t have a food processor, grating the cauliflower works just as well. Put into a microwaveable dish and add around three tablespoons of water seasoning well with salt. Microwave for six minutes.
Mix the peas and asparagus into bowl and add bowl water and season. Microwave for four minutes.
Finely dice an onion, whilst heating some olive oil in a frying pan. Fry gently for five minutes before adding in the curry powder. Once added cook out for a few minutes and tip in the cauliflower rice.
The fish should be cooked by now. Drain the milk into a jug using a sieve to catch the fish. Carefully remove the skin of the fish and break apart into large chunks. Do this with your hands to feel for any bones that may still be in the haddock.
We used the schwartz Hollandaise Sauce mix, but any could be used or alternatively try making your own! Using around ½ of the packet or 12g whisk together with 300ml’s of the milk used to cook the fish. Place onto the hob to allow to heat through and begin to thicken.
Remove the eggs from the shells and cut into quarters.
Mix the peas and asparagus through the cauliflower rice mix. Before adding the sauce and stirring through.
Add the fish to the rice and stir gently to ensure the fish doesn’t break up too much.
Top with the eggs and serve immediately.
Method- Serves 2
By Robyn McLaughlin
By Robyn McLaughlin
By Robyn McLaughlin