I debated about what to call this dish. It's not exactly Kedgeree but nor is it Biryani. 'Salmon and Rice' sounds, well, dull and there lies my problem. Are you feeling my pain? There was a moment when I nearly went for Slow Cooker Salmon and Fancy Rice but then that sounded weird and fussy and this ABSOLUTELY is NOT a weird dish or a fussy dish. So in the end, I returned to Slow Cooker Harissa Salmon Kedgeree; it's the closest description and hopefully, once you've cooked this, you won't give two hoots what it's called - you'll just want to make it again and again.
The rice is mixed with some pearl couscous and lightly spiced sautéed onions before being flavoured with a generous amount of harissa. The salmon is laid on top of the uncooked rice mixture and cooks perfectly at the same time. A handful of defrosted peas, a couple of hard-boiled eggs, a sprinkling of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime and dinner is served.
What's so special about this Slow Cooker dish?
Most importantly, it's delicious and easy but also it breaks the pattern of only using the slow cooker in the depths of winter for cosy casseroles and steaming stews. And, this is a 45 minute slow cooker dish which means you don't even have to be organised first thing in the morning to conjure up dinner in the slow cooker the same evening. This is the slow cooker that I have and love - it is combined with an Instant Pot which is useful.
What ingredients do you need for this Slow Cooker Kedgeree?
to go into the slow cooker -
- an onion - chopped finely
- coriander seeds and cumin seeds - roughly ground. I used a pestle and mortar but a small sized blender/processor would also do a great job
- harissa - mine was 'rose harissa' which has a slightly more subtle flavour but either works fine
- basmati rice
- pearl couscous - also known as Israeli couscous
- vegetable stock
- skinless salmon fillets - I use between 300-400g (10-14oz), depending on the price at the time. The smaller quantity is plenty in my opinion, especially if you add in some hardboiled eggs to bulk it out.
to serve -
- 2-3 hardboiled eggs
- defrosted frozen peas
- a small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- a few lime segments for squeezing
Why you'll love this Slow Cooker Harissa Salmon Kedgeree
- This is an easy, tasty dinner that takes care of itself in the slow cooker.
- The flavours are subtle but also feel sophisticated, especially with the squeeze of lime at the end.
- Combining the pearl couscous with the rice makes the texture really interesting, especially with the sautéed onion.
- The colours are pretty with the salmon pink against the harissa rice and the
- garnish of fresh coriander.
- Leftovers work really well - Hella was out last night, so I dined on leftovers from the night before. Tonight I'm out, so she will have the final portion.
This is a new favourite dish for me and I hope for you too. Maybe it's time to pull your slow cooker out of the cupboard for a bit of a summer holiday?
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PrintSlow Cooker Harissa Salmon Kedgeree
This Slow Cooker Harissa Salmon Kedgeree is delicately flavoured, packed with interesting textures and tastes great + it cooks in 45 minutes!
It's adapted from a recipe in Slow Cooker Victories by Katrina Meynink.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Slow Cooker
Ingredients
To go into the slow cooker -
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roughly ground (I used a pestle and mortar but a small sized blender/processor would also do a great job)
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, roughly ground (see above)
- 2-3 teaspoons harissa - mine was 'rose harissa' which has a slightly more subtle flavour but either works fine. Adjust according to the taste and the strength of your brand of harissa.
- 100g (½ cup) basmati rice
- 95g (½ cup) pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous)
- 435ml (1 ¾ cups) vegetable stock
- 300-400g (10-14oz) skinless salmon fillets (I adjust the amount of salmon that I use depending on the price at the time. The smaller quantity is plenty in my opinion, especially if you add in some hard boiled eggs to bulk it out).
To serve -
- 2-3 hard boiled eggs, halved
- 150g (1 cup) frozen peas, defrosted (running under the hot tap in a sieve works perfectly)
- a small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- a few lime segments for squeezing
Instructions
- Set the slow cooker to the SAUTÉ function*. Add the oil and, once hot, add the onion, ground coriander seeds and ground cumin seeds. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion is slightly translucent.
- Add the harissa, rice and couscous and mix well.
- Now add the stock and give everything a good stir.
- Turn the slow cooker's heat to LOW and gently place the salmon fillets on top of the rice mixture. Close the lid and cook for 45 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking (45 minutes was perfect for me).
- Remove the salmon and flake it into bite-sized pieces.
- Stir the peas through the rice mixture and check for seasoning.
- Now return the salmon to the rice and garnish with the eggs, fresh coriander and a good squeeze of lime.
- Serve with the remaining lime segments.
Notes
If your slow cooker doesn't have a SAUTÉ function -
- Without the SAUTÉ function, you will need to preheat your slow cooker otherwise the pot will be starting out cold and cooking will take longer to cook. Try pouring boiling or very hot water into the slow cooker and then turning it to HIGH heat while you do the prep and sautéing. The water will help the slow cooker to preheat, then you can pour it out before adding your hot ingredients from the pan.
- Complete up to the end of step 3 (bringing everything to a boil) in a large frying pan on the hob and then transfer to the preheated slow cooker.
Keywords: slow cooker, midweek, easy, summer
Ellie
Tried to make this tonight in my (admittedly ancient and mysterious) slow cooker - absolute disaster! After 45 mins it was still pretty much raw. However, I whacked it on the hob in a lidded pan with a bit more water for 15 mins and it was absolutely delicious. Definitely want to have this again, just need to work out what the best way is to cook it!
★★★★
Rachel
Hi Ellie, let's see if we can work out your ancient and mysterious slow cooker together! If it really is a vintage model, it may not have the SAUTÉ function built in. This may mean that you did the first stage (sauteing oil, onions and spices) in a separate pan on the hob and then added the stock, rice, couscous and harissa before transferring it to the slow cooker. I wonder if you preheated the slow cooker? Without the SAUTÉ function, the slow cooker would be starting out cold and so everything will take longer to cook. You could try pouring boiling or very hot water into the slow cooker and then turning it to high heat, while you do the prep and the sauteing. The water will help the slow cooker to preheat, then you can pour out the water before adding your hot ingredients from the other pan. This is an extra stage, but might work. There is a dark art to slow cookers for sure but worth the effort when you find some great recipes. We had this for dinner last night and it really is a keeper x