This is an integral part of my childhood, it’s the first thing I remember ever eating. The second thing I remember eating was our dogs ear. Kedgeree is a breakfast dish and was brought to this part of the world by returning English colonials who fell in love with it in Indian (though the Scots will probably argue that). I feel it’s a dish in it’s own right but many view it as a ‘left overs’ job from the night before….I wouldn’t insult it in such a way! 😉

Kedgeree is essentially a curried fish, fried rice with hard boiled egg dish eaten as breakfast, believe me when I say this sort of dish really kick starts your heart when you have it hot n spicy at 6.30am – there’s nothing quite like it.

In this recipe I’m using Coley rather than the usual Haddock or Cod – simply because it’s a more sustainable fish, it’s just as flavoursome as the others and is half the price. The recipe requires smoked fish so when you buy from you fish monger make sure it’s not the dyed version…get smoked.

Enough for2

1 side fillet of Smoked Coley – pin boned (their bones are huge and you don’t want them in you throat!)
150 grams Basmati rice, cooked and thoroughly cooled
Handful Parsley chopped
Handful of Coriander chopped
Knobette of butter
2 hard boiled eggs chopped

Rice paste
1/2 red onion finely diced
1 Tbs curry powder
Squirtette of Tomato puree
4-5 black pepper corns
1 Tps Cumin seeds
1 birds eye chili finely diced and de-seeded (if you want)
2 glugs of oil – olive or sunflower
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
Get this lot pasted in a Mortar or Blitzer
Chicken stock at hand to loosen things

Start by grilling the Coley until just cooked – cool, flake, set aside. Next do the same with your eggs – boil to hard, cool, peel and run your knife through them roughly – set aside.  Next wang the paste into a big wok and start to cook out. The paste should start to sizzle and give off it’s aromas, if it starts to look a little dry then loosen up with the chicken stock (of fish stock if you are a freaky veggie). Now in with the cooled rice and get everything coated and heated – finally tip in the fish, eggs and chopped Parsley and Coriander – get everything coated in the paste then serve.

When you’re cooking this treat it like a fried rice dish (which is what it is) so watch the bottom of the wok or pan and don’t be afraid to loosen things with your stock and keep tasting as you go – regulate the salt and curry if needs be. This should be a fragrant dish that lifts rather than a concrete style special fried rice from the local takeaway.

Try it for breakfast – seriously, give it a pop and see how you feel going into work – if you see pink bunnies and giant purple clowns on your way, you may have gone a bit far with the chili.