The New English Kitchen: Changing the Way You Shop, Cook and Eat. Rose Prince
rice with coconut, lemongrass and galangal
Southeast Asian shops can be few and far between but passing one should mean popping in for tubs of real green, red and yellow curry paste, coconut cream and milk, huge bags of rice, galangal, fresh lime leaves and lemongrass. This rice meal takes the edge off the craving for a sour-hot curry, but without the need for a fresh supply of meat.
Serves 2
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon green curry paste
1 red pepper, cut into 1cm/1/2 inch squares (optional)
2cm/3/4 inch piece of lemongrass, outer layers removed, then
very thinly sliced
2cm/3/4 inch piece of fresh galangal, crushed, or fresh ginger
2 fresh or dried lime leaves
250ml/8fl oz canned coconut milk, or 4cm/11/2 inches cut from
a block of coconut cream and broken into 250ml/8fl oz water
2 helpings of cooked basmati rice (see here)
leaves from 4 sprigs of mint or basil
salt
Put the oil in a saucepan with the curry paste and heat through. Add the red pepper, if using, plus the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves, followed by the coconut milk. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the rice and bring back to the boil, then stir in the herbs and season with salt to taste. Tip into bowls and eat with a spoon.
aubergine and pumpkin seed rice
When I want a warm and filling lunch that will not see me slump fast asleep over my desk mid afternoon, I heat a little cooked rice in a pan with some cooked vegetables, cumin and a few nuts or seeds. I eat it with plain yoghurt – there is usually some in the fridge – and a teaspoon of bought harissa, the hot pepper sauce of North Africa. The fresh ingredients in the following recipe could be replaced by tomatoes, shallots, spring greens, squash or pumpkin.
Serves 2
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 aubergine, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 tablespoon green pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons stock or water
2 helpings of cooked basmati rice (see here)
leaves from 2 sprigs of mint
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a pan and add the aubergine, onion and celery. Cook, stirring, until the aubergine is soft, then add the pumpkin seeds, cumin and stock or water. Mix in the rice and reheat thoroughly. Add the mint and season to taste.
kitchen notes
kedgeree
We made this for a big Christening party recently and agreed that kedgeree is hard-to-beat party food. The bare bones can be made in advance and assembled just before everyone arrives. It’s also incredibly rich. A little fish goes a long way in kedgeree, which is an advantage with the high price of sustainable fish. For information on how to choose fish, see here.
Serves 8–12
480g/1 lb smoked fish fillet – haddock, pollack or hot-smoked
organic salmon (see the Shopping Guide)
1 onion, cut in half
6 cardamom pods, crushed
250ml/8fl oz creamy milk
90ml/3fl oz single cream
1 quantity of cooked basmati rice (see here)
180g/6oz cooked peeled North Atlantic prawns (optional)
1cm/1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground in a pestle and mortar
6 fennel seeds, toasted and ground as above
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
30g/1oz butter, melted
4 semi-soft boiled eggs (see here), peeled and quartered
8 sprigs of coriander, chopped
Put the fish in a pan with the onion and cardamom pods and pour over the milk and cream. Place over a medium heat and bring up to boiling point. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until the fish begins to firm up and flake apart (if you are using hot-smoked salmon, you will not need to cook it – just bring to the boil). Strain off the creamy milk and reserve.
Break the fish into large flakes, discarding any skin or bones, and mix lightly with the rice and prawns. Add the remaining spices, pour over the reserved creamy milk and the melted butter and mix quite thoroughly. Strew the eggs on top and scatter over the coriander.
rice, cucumber and dill salad
The herbs lend their aromas, the onion seed gives a sharp little kick and the cucumber cools down this salad. It will not spoil if you take it to work in a carton. It’s also very good eaten outdoors, with barbecued sardines or lamb.
Serves 2
2 helpings of cooked basmati rice (see here)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
a pinch of sea salt
1/2 cucumber, cut in half lengthways, then peeled, deseeded
and sliced
4 sprigs of dill, chopped
4 sprigs of chervil, if available, or flat-leaf parsley, torn into
smaller sprigs
1/2 teaspoon black onion seeds (nigella)
freshly ground black pepper
Put the rice in a deep bowl, add the oil, lemon juice and salt and mix well. Add a little more oil if you want a wetter salad. Add the cucumber and dill and mix again. Strew the chervil leaves on top. Throw over the onion seeds and finish with a grind or two of black pepper.
short grain rice
There are various traditional risotto recipes in the Stock chapter (see here) but here is the store-method recipe.