West Indian Kedgeree (Coconut Curry Rice With Cod)

Ingredients

• 0.75 lb Cod fillets (Cut into 1-inch pieces)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (To taste; used for seasoning the cod, onion, rice, and coconut milk mixture)
• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 1 Medium red onion (Thinly sliced; reserve a small handful for garnish)
• 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Curry powder (Preferably Caribbean curry powder)
• 1 cup Unsweetened coconut milk
• 0.75 cup Water (For cooking the rice)
• 0.5 cup Frozen peas
• 2 Large eggs
• Scallions (Thinly sliced, for garnishing)
• Lime wedges (For garnishing and squeezing over the finished dish)

Steps

1. 1

   Season the cod pieces generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2. 2

   Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.

3. 3

   Reserve a small handful of the sliced red onion for garnish. Heat a large sauté pan or high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.

4. 4

   Add the curry powder to the oil and stir for 15 seconds, allowing it to bloom and become fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the remaining sliced onion to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened with some golden-brown edges.

6. 6

   Add the drained rice and stir for 1 minute, until every grain is thoroughly coated in the spiced onion mixture and lightly toasted.

7. 7

   Stir in the coconut milk and ¾ cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then season with salt and pepper.

8. 8

   Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the rice for 5 minutes.

9. 9

   Arrange the seasoned cod pieces in a single layer over the rice, then add the frozen peas. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the cod is just cooked through.

10. 10

    Turn off the heat, keep the skillet covered, and let the rice and cod steam for 5 minutes.

11. 11

    While the rice steams, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in the eggs, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, and simmer for 9 minutes.

12. 12

    Run the cooked eggs under cold water, peel them, and quarter them.

13. 13

    Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Garnish with the quartered jammy eggs, sliced scallions, and reserved red onion. Serve with a generous squeeze of lime juice.

Notes

The cod is salted ahead of time, which lightly cures it, enhances its flavor and texture, and echoes the use of salt cod in West Indian cooking. The structured recipe does not specify the amount of salt, pepper, scallions, or lime; season and garnish to taste.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Caribbean
• one-pan
• rice dish
• seafood
• high-protein
• dairy-free
• coconut milk