the PERFECT kedgeree

I’ll admit up front – this wasn’t my idea, so I can’t take credit. When we were dreaming up recipes this week, my husband suggested a smoked haddock kedgeree, and I jumped on it. Smoked flavours, exotic spices and sweet peas sounded right up my alley.

I reworked this Waitrose version of the recipe for our own purposes, and I say, it was bloody lovely.

Smoked haddock kedgeree
(serves 2)

150g wholegrain brown rice
1 tbsp olive oil
300g smoked haddock fillet
3 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
200 ml skimmed milk mixed with 150 ml water
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
25 g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
50g frozen peas
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 lemon, halved

Boil the rice for 35 minutes.

After about 15 minutes of the rice cooking, place the haddock in a saucepan with the peppercorns and one bay leaf. Cover with the milk and water mixture and bring the heat to medium. Bring up to a gentle simmer, then cook for about 8 more minutes.

Remove the haddock fillets out of the milk and allow to cool. Peel off the skin and break the fish into large flakes.

Wipe out the pan you were using, and heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for a couple of minutes; then add the second bay leaf with the cardamom pods, turmeric, cumin and chilli powder. Fry for three more minutes.

Mix in the hot rice and ensure it gets really coated with the spices. Then add the frozen peas and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes, then add the fish. After a few more minutes, stir in the beaten egg and the parsley. Keep stirring, so that the egg doesn’t stick to the bottom. Serve topped with more pepper and a lemon half.

Calories: for ½ of the entire amount cooked, it’s 570 cals. But of course, I had one portion while Pete had 2 portions, so my meal was about 380, while his was 760.