spiced kedgeree

“If you, like me, love something savoury for breakfast, then have a go at this spiced, but light, kedgeree. It’s rice, salmon, and you know what, add a fried egg if you like because that’s simply delicious. And then go ahead and have it for dinner too.”

— kate

serves 4-6 | prep time 20 mins | cook time 40 mins

200 g (7 oz) smoked haddock or smoked mackerel
200 g (7 oz/1 cup) basmati rice
4 free-range eggs, at room temperature
300 g (10½ oz) salmon fillet, skinned, bones removed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons rice bran oil
50 g (1¾ oz) butter
2 brown onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ teaspoons curry powder or garam masala
1 x 3 cm (1¼ in) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 fresh long red chilli, finely sliced (seeds removed, if you want to reduce the heat)
90 g (3¼ oz/1 bunch) coriander (cilantro), leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
2–3 lemons
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
100 g (3½ oz/1 small bunch) flat-leaf ( Italian) parsley, leaves and half the stalks finely chopped

Put the smoked haddock or mackerel in a shallow pan with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and leave until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin from the fish, flake into chunks and set aside.

Boil the rice in water in a medium saucepan until just done, following the packet directions, then drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover eggs with cold water, bring to a simmer and cook for 6 minutes, then drain and put in a bowl of iced water, until cool. Peel eggs and break gently into large pieces with your hands. Set aside.

To cook the salmon, heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper, drizzle over half the oil to coat. Pan-fry fish for 2 minutes, or until golden brown, then turn over and cook a further 1–2 minutes, until just cooked, but still pink in the middle. Set aside on a board to rest.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, add the butter and remaining oil and cook the onions for 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, curry powder, ginger and chilli and reduce heat to medium–low. Add the coriander stalks and sauté gently until tender.

Add the rice to the frying pan with the onions and fold together. Reduce the heat to low, squeeze over the juice of 1 lemon, then fold in turmeric and flaked smoked fish. Carefully fold in half the eggs, half the coriander leaves and half the parsley. Scatter over the remaining eggs. Add more lemon juice and pepper, if liked, then cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through.

To serve, divide the kedgeree between plates or shallow bowls. Break the salmon into 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ in) pieces over the rice and scatter over the remaining coriander and parsley. Cut remaining lemon into wedges or cheeks and serve in a small dish.

QUICK TIP

You can find smoked haddock, the traditional kedgeree ingredient, in good delicatessens or fishmongers. But a hot-smoked trout is an accessible option too; buy it whole and then skin and debone it, a task that’s easier than it looks. Be careful not to salt the rice until after you’ve added the smoked fish, which can be very salty

This recipe appeared in Margaret and Me (Murdoch), my third cookbook. Photography by Rob Palmer. Styling by Michelle Noerianto.