green kedgeree

This is an aggressively green supper. Squeaky green, even – stuffed with leeks and green peas. (I’m a little obsessed with the tiny round things lately, just sauteed straight from the freezer with improbable amounts of bacon. They fulfil the mindless quality of popcorn for a TV dinner.)

This, this is proper food. A little wild rice, some smoked fish for brainpower with chopped hardboiled eggs on top. This is English food, bastardised of course, what some might call tea.  If you already have boiled eggs and cooked rice in the fridge, it’ll take just a few minutes. If not, half an hour. Either way, it’ll feel like someone is taking care of you – making sure you get your greens and proteins.

Green Kedgeree

for 2, but double the rice if you are really hungry

a drizzle of olive oil

a pinch of curry powder

1 large leek

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (a mix of basmati and wild rice is delicious)

2 cups frozen peas (straight from the freezer)

2 small fillets of smoked fish (haddock is tradition, mackerel is good too)

2 hard boiled eggs

a squeeze of lemon

salt and pepper

In a large frying pan on medium heat, drizzle some olive oil and a pinch of curry powder, not much at all. Cut leek down the centre, almost to the base. Wash in cold water, splaying out the leaves to get at the dirt. Cut into rounds. Cook in olive oil for a few minutes.

Add rice and peas and 2 tablespoons water. Cover and let the peas just turn bright green. Separate the fish fillets into big flakes, gently stir into rice along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Peel eggs and quarter lengthways. Serve arranged nicely on top of each plate, a wedge of lemon on the side.