Winter morning kedgeree
We call this Christmas Day kedgeree, because it would make a perfect breakfast with a glass of fizz but it’s incredibly simple, so would make an excellent midweek supper on a chilly evening, too (with or without fizz). Be generous with the amount of black pepper while you’re finishing the dish as it really lifts the flavour of the salty smoked haddock.
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4 for a generous breakfast
- 2 fillets of smoked haddock
- 500ml whole milk
- 3 bay leaves, divided
- 4 Halen Môn Whole Black Peppercorns, plus extra to grind
- 40g unsalted butter
- 2 brown onions, finely sliced
- 300g basmati rice, rinsed in cold water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom pods, bruised with the side of a knife
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 heaped tbsp Smoky Honey Mustard
- 550ml vegetable or fish stock
- 4 eggs
- Handful of soft fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill or coriander, roughly picked and chopped
- Lemon wedges, to serve
- Halen Môn Pure Sea Salt, to season and finish
METHOD
- Place the haddock in a shallow casserole pan and pour over the milk. If it doesn’t cover the fish, pour in more milk, cream or a dash of water until it does. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns and bring to a gentle simmer to poach for 10-12 minutes, until the fish flakes easily. Remember that smoked fish is salty, so the liquid won’t need any salt.
- Lift the fish out, allow to cool and strain the milk. Save this liquid for fish pies or white sauces. Break the fish into large flakes and set aside. Wipe out the casserole pan, then return to the heat. Melt the butter and tip in the onions and a generous pinch of Halen Môn. Cook, stirring regularly over a medium heat, until the onions are soft and sweet, about 15 minutes.
- Add the rinsed rice to the pan along with the spices and stir for 5 minutes over a medium – low heat, to toast both the rice and the spices. Add the Smoky Honey Mustard and stock and stir to combine. Cover the pan with a lid or foil and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the rice is cooked and has absorbed all the liquid – this is usually when the grains of rice on the surface begin to point up towards the ceiling. Allow the rice to rest off the heat, with the lid on for 5 minutes, before fluffing up with a fork.
- While the rice is resting, boil the eggs to your liking. A good rule of thumb is 6 minutes in boiling water for a runny yolk; 8 minutes for a soft set and 10 minutes for a hard-boiled egg. Tap the eggs on a hard surface to crack the shell, then lower into cold water – this will make them easier to peel.
- Fold the fish and herbs through the fluffy rice, then peel the eggs, halve them and arrange over the top of the rice along with lemon wedges to serve. Finish with a generous grind of black pepper and flaky Halen Môn.
