Kedgeree

Ingredients

• 475 g undyed smoked haddock fillet (Cut in half)
• 2 bay leaves
• 500 ml water (For poaching the haddock and cooking the rice)
• 200 g basmati rice (Rinsed in cold water and drained)
• 4 free-range eggs
• 100 g frozen peas (Optional)
• 40 g butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion (Finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp medium curry powder (Heaped)
• 3 tbsp double cream
• freshly ground black pepper (A few twists, to taste)
• 3 tbsp fresh flatleaf parsley (Chopped)
• 0.5 lemon juice (Juice only)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the haddock skin-side up in a large frying pan. Pour over the water, add the bay leaves, and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.

2. 2

   Cook the fish for 8–10 minutes, until just done and flaking easily. Drain it in a colander set over a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid, and discard the bay leaves.

3. 3

   Pour the reserved cooking liquid into a saucepan and stir in the rinsed rice. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil.

4. 4

   Reduce the heat and simmer the rice very gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for a further 3–5 minutes; it should have absorbed all the fish liquor.

5. 5

   While the rice cooks, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add the eggs and cook for 8 minutes.

6. 6

   Drain the eggs in a sieve under cold running water. When cool enough to handle, peel them carefully and set them aside.

7. 7

   If using the peas, cook them in a small saucepan of boiling water, then drain.

8. 8

   Melt the butter with the sunflower oil in a large frying pan. Add the chopped onion and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well softened.

9. 9

   Add the curry powder and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

10. 10

    Tip the cooked rice into the pan and stir it into the softened onions.

11. 11

    Add the peas, double cream, chopped parsley, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.

12. 12

    Flake the fish into chunky pieces and add it to the pan. Gently stir in the lemon juice and cook for 1–2 minutes.

13. 13

    Cut the boiled eggs into quarters and place them on top of the rice. Cover the pan with a lid and heat through for 2–3 minutes, or until the eggs are warm, then serve.

Notes

If not serving immediately, transfer the kedgeree to a warm dish, dot with a few cubes of butter, cover with kitchen foil, and keep warm in a low oven for up to 20 minutes. For a hot-smoked-salmon version, skip poaching the fish, use 500 ml light chicken stock instead of the fish cooking liquid, and stir chunks of hot-smoked salmon into the rice with the peas.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• brunch
• lunch
• British
• gluten-free
• nut-free
• protein-rich
• stovetop