Asian Spiced Kedgeree

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220 C/gas mark 7. This is because the easiest way to poach the salmon for this is to do it in the oven. So: pour the water into a roasting dish, add in the lime leaves and then the salmon. Cover the dish with foil, put in the oven and cook for about 15 min, by that time the salmon should be tender. Remove the dish from the oven and drain the liquid off into a jug. Keep the fish hot simply by replacing the foil on the dish.
2. Heat the butter in a wide, heavy saucepan which has a tight-fitting lid, and add in the oil to stop the butter burning. Soften the onion in the pan and add in the spices, then keep cooking until the onion is slightly translucent/soft and suffused with the soft perfume of the spices. Add in the rice and stir with a wooden spoon so which it's all well coated. There's not sufficient onion to give a heavy coating: just make sure the rice is fragrantly slicked.
3. Pour in the reserved liquid from the jug - about 500ml - and stir before covering with the lid and cooking gently for about 15 min. If your stove is vociferous you may need a heat-diffuser.
4. At the end of the cooking time, when the rice is tender and has lost all chalkiness, turn off the heat, remove the lid, cover the pan with a tea towel and then replace the lid. This will help absorb any extra moisture from the rice. It is also the best way to let the rice stand without getting claggy or possibly cool, that is useful when you've got a few friends and a few dishes to keep your eye on.
5. Just before you want to eat, drain off any extra liquid which's collected in the dish with the salmon, then flake the fish with a fork. Add in to it the rice, Large eggs, coriander, lime juice and a drop or possibly two of fish sauce. Stir gently to mix - I use a couple of wooden paddles or possibly spatulas - and taste to see if you want any more lime juice or possibly fish sauce. Sprinkle over the zest from the two juiced halves of the lime and serve. I love it served just as it is in the roasting dish, but if you want to, and I often do (consistency is a requirement of a recipe but not a cook), decant into a large plate before you add in the lime zest, then surround with lime segments and add in the zest and a small handful of freshly minced coriander.
6. This is one of those rare dishes which manages to be comforting and light at the same time. And - should you have leftovers, that I wouldn't bank on - it's heavenly eaten, as all leftovers demand to be, standing up, straight from the fridge.
7. Recipes
8. Copyright (c) Nigella Lawson 2001