Whodunnit Dinners Podcast #5 Dorothy L Sayers: Bodies in the bath, meddling mothers and killer kedgeree

Welcome to the blog that accompanies the Whodunnit Dinners podcast: a podcast based around whodunnit murder mysteries and dishes inspired by them. 

Murder mystery author royalty

In episode #5, Katie takes us into the acclaimed writer Dorothy L Sayers’ first novel featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. ‘Whose Body?’ begins with the discovery of an unknown person’s naked body in a bath tub in London. During the podcast we discuss its plot, character dynamics and psychological depth. Sayers is one of the most celebrated British writers of crime fiction and a contemporary of Agatha Christie, but their styles and life experiences  are different in quite significant ways.  If you want to hear more about the book and the author, check out the podcast for lots more intel. 

At the end of podcast #4, Katie had challenged me to come up with a food which relates to British influence in the colonies during the early part of the 20th century. This turned out to be a massive brief, as I went down rabbit holes of all the different food products that surged into the UK in the early 1900s but in the end I went with my gut (literally) and plumped for kedgeree, accompanied by a pineapple cocktail, inspired by the East India Company.  I wasn’t too far off the mark, because the reason Katie had set the challenge was due to a significant scene in the book where Wimsey dines with one of the characters and they share a curry. I hadn’t gone for curry, but at least with kedgeree I had landed in the right part of the world. 

If you haven’t had the good fortune to come across it before, kedgeree is a spiced rice and smoked fish dish that originated in colonial India. It is derived from the Indian dish “khichri”, a combination of rice and lentils, which came from the Ayurvedic tradition. 

In Victorian Britain, kedgeree became very popular as a breakfast item. Over the years, the recipe has evolved, with different varieties of fish being added, along with peas and hard boiled eggs.

Personally, I am a fan. It makes a super healthy breakfast, brunch or light lunch, that has spicy interest and a lovely fragrance. It is really easy to make and easy on the wallet. It’s decent eaten cold the next day too. 

How to Cook up Kedgeree

This recipe is for four, or two if you are like me and want a massive portion. 

• 450g smoked haddock fillets

• 4 eggs

• 200g basmati rice

• 1 veg stock cube 

• 45g butter

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 tbsp mild curry powder

• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

• 80g frozen peas

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 

• juice of half a lemon

1.  Rinse rice through a sieve in cold water and drain to remove excess starch.

2. Hard boil the eggs. Rinse in cold water and then keep in cold water until everything else is ready. 

3. Place the haddock fillets in a large shallow pan, skin side up. Pour over 400ml of cold water.  Bring water to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes or until the fish is tender and flakes easily when touched with a fork. When its cool enough, transfer to a plate and break into large pieces. Don't throw the water out.

4. Stir the rice to the pan of reserved water and add the stock cube. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for a few minutes or until it has absorbed all the liquid.

5. Melt butter and oil in a separate pan and cook the onions over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the curry powder and ground turmeric to the onions and continue to cook for a few minutes.

6. While the rice and onions are cooking, cook the peas and drain.

7. Add the cooked spiced onions, flaked haddock, drained peas and chopped parsley to the rice and stir, taking care not to break up the fish. Season with salt, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and the lemon juice.

8. Peel the eggs and cut them into halves or quarters. Place them on top of the rice. Serve immediately.

If you’re in the mood for an alcoholic drink to accompany your dish, make yourself an East India Cocktail, first published as a recipe in 1882. The fruity flavours would go nicely with the fish and fragrant spices. 

• 2 oz brandy or Cognac

• 1 tsp curacao 

• 1 tsp pineapple syrup

• 2 dash angostura bitters or other aromatic bitters

If you don’t have pineapple syrup, finely chop pineapple and soak it in a simple sugar syrup before straining. It doesn’t take long.  

Put all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, then  shake up and serve. Garnish with a lemon twist and a cherry. 

If you’ve found this Indian-inspired dish + Dorothy L. mash-up a delicious prospect, take a listen to the full Whodunnit Dinners podcast, where you’ll hear more about Lord Peter Wimsey and the dark mystery that unfolds in ‘Whose Body?’. To hear the full Whodunnit Dinners podcast click here.