Kedgeree

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1/2 onion, peeled and chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup long-grain white rice 1 cup chicken stock 1/2 lb cooked salmon, flaked 2 hardboiled eggs, quartered fresh parsley, minced Curry bchamel: 1 tablespoon very soft unsalted butter 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 teaspoon salt pepper 1/2 tablespoon curry powder* 1 cup milk

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When the foam just starts to subside, add the chopped onion and saut for about 5 minutes, turning down the heat if necessary to keep the onion from browning. Add the salt and rice and stir to coat the rice in the butter, then pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer, covered, for thirty minutes. Make sure the rice continues to simmer and be sure not to stir. After 30 minutes, remove the pilaf from the heat, fluff with a fork, cover, and let sit 5 minutes. To make the curry bchamel, mix together the softened butter, flour, salt, pepper and curry powder. Set aside. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it steams and whisk in the butter/flour mixture until it's lump free. Turn the heat up to high, continue whisking and bring the sauce to a boil and boil one minute. To assemble Kedgeree (see this illustrated below), divide the pilaf between two plates, top with salmon, surround with egg and cover with bchamel. Top with minced parsley. Enjoy immediately!

Serves 2 *The mixture I use is: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder + 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder + 1/4 teaspoon ginger + 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander + 1/4 teaspoon cumin + dash of cayenne pepper
Adapted from "Kedgeree of Salmon" in Mary and Vincent Price, A Treasury of Great Recipes (Ampersand Press, Inc., 1965), 158-159 and "Bchamel Sauce" in ibid., 424.