Ingredients

Serves 8

 

Rice balls
450ml smoked haddock stock (simply made by covering the smoked haddock skin and trimmings with water and adding some onion, leek and celery)
3 shallots, finely chopped
75 g butter
10g ras el hanout curry powder
150g risotto rice
25g parmesan, shaved
Whisked egg, flour and breadcrumbs to pane the rice balls

Mussel beignets
24 cooked mussels
330ml bottle of beer
300g plain flour
50g yeast
Pinch salt and sugar

Curry cream
125g finely chopped onions
10g ras el hanout curry powder
200ml apple juice
3 egg yolks
10g sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
250ml grape seed oil
Squeeze lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Mussel Cream
100ml mussel juice (from cooking of mussels)
3 egg yolks
½ tsp Dijon mustard
200ml grapeseed oil
Salt, pepper and lemon

Golden Raisin Puree
250g golden raisins, soaked
150 ml apple juice
50g sugar

Fish and Mussels
2 Finnan smoked haddock fillets, skinned, trimmed and cut into 110g pieces – reserve the skin and trimmings for the stock)
8 quail eggs
8 small hens’ eggs
24 mussels, cleaned
1 litre milk
1 long leek
1 stick celery
2 granny smith apples
150g curry cream
150g mussel cream
50g raisin puree
24 smoked haddock risotto balls
16 celery leaves

Method

This is a modern take on a well-known classic. There are many opinions about what constitutes a proper “kedgeree”, and in my opinion the four ingredients which must be present are smoked haddock, rice, eggs and curry. The rest is open for debate. In this version the eggs and the haddock play the star roles and I have added mussels because their affinity with curry is phenomenal. It is not possible to make small quantities of the creams and rice balls but these items will just have to be enjoyed elsewhere!

Step 1 – Rice balls
Step 2 – Mussel beignets
Step 3 – Creams and purees
Step 4 – Cook the seafood
Step 5 – Presentation

The rice balls and creams can be made the day before.

STEP 1

Rice balls
• Heat up the smoked haddock stock.
• Sweat the shallots in a heavy based pan with some butter, a pinch of salt and the curry powder.
• After 3 or 4 minutes add the rice and cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes to seal the rice.
• Now, gradually add the hot smoked haddock stock over a period of about 10 minutes until the rice has just a bit of a bite left. Never swamp the rice with stock – add it gradually as the rice absorbs the previous addition.
• Finish off the risotto by adding the butter and parmesan. The end result should be a rich, mellow, creamy smoked haddock risotto where the rice is fully, but not over-cooked.
• Pour this risotto into a shallow dish and chill. Roll 24 little balls 1 inch in diameter. Pane the balls by first coating them in flour, then egg and finally in the breadcrumbs.

STEP 2

Beer batter for mussel beignets
• Make a simple batter with the beer, flour, yeast, sugar and salt by whisking all the ingredients together. Set aside in a warm place until required.

*See step 5 for cooking Mussel beignets

STEP 3

Curry cream
• Sweat the onions, the garlic and the curry powder in a splash of the oil with a generous pinch of salt.
• Once softened and translucent add the apple juice and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes.
Allow to cool, place in a blender, add the egg yolks and blend to a smooth puree.
• Gradually add the oil with the blender running on maximum and you will end up with a smooth emulsion the consistency of a thick pouring cream.
• Check the seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and lemon juice if necessary.
• Place into plastic “squeezy” bottle.

 Mussel Cream
• Place the mussel juice, a squeeze of lemon juice, the mustard and the egg yolks in a blender and blend. Season with salt and pepper.
• With the blender on maximum, add the grapeseed oil until the consistency of a thick pouring cream is achieved.
• Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
• Place into plastic “squeezy” bottle.

Golden Raisin Puree
• Take the sugar to a caramel in a heavy based pan over a flame.
• Drain the raisins and add them to the caramel.
• Stir until the caramel has dissolved, add the drained apple juice and bring to the boil. Place in blender and puree until smooth.
• Place into plastic “squeezy” bottle.

STEP 4

 Fish and Mussels
• Cook the quail eggs in boiling water for 2 minutes and 20 seconds and refresh in cold water. Peel and reserve.
• Similarly, cook the hens’ eggs for 9 minutes, peel and reserve.
• Cut the leek into ½ cm rounds and peel the celery and cut into 3mm crescents. Blanch each separately in boiling salted water until just tender.
• Thoroughly drain and chill on a flat tray or plate in a fridge. Do not refresh in iced water – this will leach out flavour.
• Briefly cook the mussels by placing in a pre-heated covered pan with a splash of water, allowing them to steam open. Pick the mussels from the shells and reserve in the fridge along with the juice.

STEP 5

To serve
• Bring a pan of vegetable oil to 180°C.
• Cut the apple in to matchstick size batons.
• Dip the mussels in the beer batter, coating them lightly, and deep fry until golden. Deep fry the rice balls until golden and deep fry the celery leaves until crisp. Reserve warm.
• Bring the milk to simmering point in a shallow pan. Remove from the heat and drop in the pieces of smoked haddock. Drain the smoked haddock after 4 minutes, at which point it should break into beautiful translucent flakes.
• Using an old-fashioned egg slicer, or otherwise, slice the hens’ eggs into thin slices. Place these onto the plates – do not use the slices with no yolk.
• Place the flaked haddock on top.
• Dress this with both the curry and mussel creams and garnish with the leeks and celery.
• Finish with “dots” of raisin puree, the mussel beignets, rice balls, celery leaves and julienne of apple and, finally, a quail egg cut in half and seasoned with salt.