Kedgeree

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide, shallow pan for poaching the fish
• •Large frying pan or sauté pan with a lid
• •Medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid for rice

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the haddock

   Lay the haddock in a wide pan, skin side down. Pour over the milk and water. It should just cover the fish. If it doesn't, use a bigger pan, not more liquid. Drop in the bay leaf. Bring to a bare simmer over a gentle heat and poach for five to seven minutes, until the fish flakes easily when pressed with a fork. Don't let it boil. Boiled fish is punished fish. Lift the haddock out, set it on a plate, and strain the poaching liquor into a jug. Keep it. That cloudy, savoury milk is going to cook your rice.

   Buy undyed haddock. The bright yellow sort has been coloured for no good reason. Naturally smoked haddock is pale gold, almost creamy, and tastes of smoke rather than dye.
2. 2

   Cook the rice

   Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs more or less clear. This takes three or four washes and matters more than most people think. Put it in a saucepan, pour over enough of the poaching liquor to cover by about a centimetre, and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly, turn the heat to its lowest setting, and leave for twelve minutes. Don't lift the lid. Don't stir. After twelve minutes, turn off the heat and let it sit, still covered, for another five. The rice will be fluffy, separate, and faintly savoury from the milk.

3. 3

   Boil the eggs

   While the rice cooks, lower the eggs into a pan of simmering water. Seven minutes for a yolk that is just set at the edges but still soft and golden in the centre. That's what you want here: a yolk that yields when you press it, that runs a little when you cut the egg in half. If you prefer them firmer, give them nine minutes. Lift them out into cold water and peel when cool enough to handle.

4. 4

   Soften the onion with spice

   Melt the butter in a large, wide pan over a medium heat. When it foams, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent. This takes about eight minutes. You're not looking for colour, just patience. When the onion is ready, add the curry powder and stir it through for a minute or so. The spice should smell warm and toasted, not raw and dusty. Trust your nose. It knows before you do.

   Curry powder varies wildly. Find one you like and stick with it. A mild, warm blend with turmeric and coriander is what you want, not something fierce. Two teaspoons is a starting point. Taste the rice once it's folded in and add more if you want.
5. 5

   Bring it together

   Flake the haddock into large pieces, discarding the skin and checking for bones with your fingers. You want generous flakes, not shreds. Add the cooked rice to the buttery onion pan and fold it through gently with a fork, letting the grains pick up the spice and the butter. Fold in the flaked fish, being careful not to break it up too much. Squeeze the lemon juice over everything. Scatter in most of the parsley, keeping some back for the top. Season with pepper. Salt may not be needed; the fish brings its own. Taste it. Then taste it again.

6. 6

   Serve with eggs

   Pile the kedgeree onto warm plates. Cut the eggs in half and nestle them into the rice, yolk side up. Scatter the remaining parsley over the top. A final, small knob of butter on the rice isn't necessary, but it isn't wrong either. Bring it to the table while it's still warm, the eggs still yielding, the kitchen still smelling of smoky fish and gentle spice.

Chef Tips

• •The poaching liquor is the quiet secret here. That milky, smoky liquid carries more flavour than any stock cube. Use it to cook the rice and you won't need to add anything else. If you have some left over, it will keep in the fridge for a day and make a good base for a chowder.
• •Don't flake the fish too small. You want to find proper pieces of haddock in the rice, substantial enough that each forkful gives you a bit of everything. Shredded fish disappears. Generous flakes hold their own.
• •This keeps surprisingly well and eats beautifully at room temperature, which makes it a quiet triumph for a dinner party or a late brunch. Make it ahead if you like, but add the eggs and a squeeze of fresh lemon just before serving.
• •If you can get your hands on some fresh curry leaves, fry a few in the butter alongside the onion. They crackle and pop and release a fragrance that the best curry powder can only approximate.

Advance Preparation

• •The haddock can be poached and the rice cooked up to a day ahead. Keep them separate in the fridge and bring together in the buttered onion pan when ready to serve. It reheats gently and well.
• •Boil the eggs just before serving for the best texture. A reheated soft-boiled egg is a sad thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 340g)