Kind of kedgeree

My "not authentic but very delicious nonetheless" version

I think kedgeree would be one of my desert island dishes. It’ s just so delicious. It’s not a risotto, in fact it’s much more forgiving and less needy than a risotto. If you haven’t had it before, it’s a sort of Anglo-Indian pilaf. Golden creamy lightly spiced rice, with flakey poached smoked haddock and softly boiled eggs. It was traditionally served as a breakfast although I’ve never had it as such, it makes a delicious week night supper. I did have one cooking client who loved kedgeree for breakfast at 7am - actually he would alternate between kedgeree and kippers!

Now whilst that kind of breakfast might not be for everyone, kedgeree for supper is definitely one to add to your list. It’s ready in less than 20 minutes, it’s comforting, packed full of flavour and is really so so good.

There are so many slight variations of kedgeree, most call for coriander but I love it with chopped fresh parsley instead. I also add peas which is most definitely not conventional but I think it’s a worthy addition. A mild curry powder is important and I love the golden hue a little turmeric adds. Unlike a risotto, kedgeree does require cream, but it’s not a lot when you divide it between the number of people eating it and really it makes it so delicious. Risotto becomes creamy and unctuous from needing to be constantly stirred and with kedgeree you don’t need to hold its hand in the same way. The trade off in the fact that kedgeree is so much less faff than a risotto is that you do need the addition of cream.

Softly boiled eggs are a key component to a great kedgeree, sometimes I like to take half the boiled eggs and chop them up and stir them through. Really so good. I love for my boiled eggs to have a set white and then a slightly soft jammy yolk and I have found the perfect cooking time to be 6 1/2 minutes. That will give you cooked-through egg whites and jammy yolks, but if you want the yolk a little runnier, just pull them out of the water 30 seconds earlier.

My tried and tested technique is to lower the eggs into a pan of gently boiling water. Set a timer and as soon as they’re done remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and dunk in ice water to stop the cooking process and also conveniently makes them cool enough to peel.