Kedgeree, the sisterhood and not messing with a Scotsman

Holy cow. I am really trying not to swear, but what a week and it is only Wednesday. I know I didn't bother with a post yesterday but with good reason.

I am not going to get into the logistics of yesterday but what I can tell you is that I am fortunate enough to know some pretty amazing people. This group of friends that I only towards the end of last year become familiar and comfortable with are unbelievable. What a group of strong, independent, protective, kind, selfless women, all of them. I don't think that I ever understood the power of the sisterhood until I met these girls. And let me tell you, don't mess with them or anyone they love, it just wouldn't be worth it.

What I can tell you about yesterday is that I came across another cooking blogger. Now I am usually sane of mine and rationale of head (Rory will contest this I am sure) but when I meet another cook, I go a just a leetle bit competitive crazy. And another cook that blogs? ALARM BELLS. Another cook that blogs that photographs his own food? I pity the fool! But on a more serious note, he's a really nice guy and obviously very talented. His blog is very different to this one. He doesn't skimp on calories or worry about dairy or carbs or any of the stuff I generally don't put on this blog. Check it out: http://allyoucaneatforfree.wordpress.com/

Anyhow, onto my blog! Kedgeree is the dish of the day. What the hell is kedgeree you may ask? Well, generally it is a mixture of smoked, flaked fish, rice, curry powder and whatever else you fancy. There are many variations of kedgeree but they all start with those basic ingredients.

Kedgeree is thought to have originated with an Indian rice-and-bean or rice-and-lentil dish traced back to 1340 or earlier. It is widely believed that the dish was brought to the United Kingdom by returning British colonials who had enjoyed it in India and introduced it to the UK as a breakfast dish in Victorian times as part of the then fashionable Anglo-Indian cuisine. It is one of many breakfast dishes that, in the days before refrigeration, converted yesterday's leftovers into hearty and appealing breakfast dishes.

According to some highly disputed sources, the dish originated from Scotland and was taken to India by Scottish troops during the British Raj, where it was adapted and adopted as part of Indian cuisine. According to this theory the dish travelled to India then returned to the wider UK. This is the explanation I am sticking to, because I live with a Scotsman, and you really, really don't want to be arguing with one!

Anyhow, it's healthy (obviously), it's quick and damn tasty. This is my version, but play around with your own tastes by adding capers, tomatoes or change the thyme for coriander as an example. Check it out:

Ingredients:
2 fillets of flaked smoked mackerel
2 boiled eggs (we have been through how to get the perfect egg in May's blog)
1/2 a finely chopped red onion
4 sprigs of thyme (run your fingers up and down the stalk as you only want the leaves in this case, not the stalks)
1 cup of raw brown boiled rice (again refer to May's blog for perfect rice)
2 heaped teaspoons of mild curry powder
1 generous tablespoon of grain mustard
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Method
Boil your rice. And remember brown rice takes significantly longer than white and absorbs a lot more water. So keep an eye on it
Flake your mackerel and make sure all the bones are removed (I mash mine up with a fork as this makes the bones more visible)
add the flaked fish to the cooked rice
add your finely chopped onion
mash your boiled eggs and add to the rice mixture
add curry powder, mustard and balsamic vinegar
stir all the ingredients well
add thyme leaves and stir well
garnish with thyme and serve with chutney

THIS DISH CAN BE SERVED HOT, WARM OR COLD.
(Any which way it is delicious)