A Smoked Haddock Kedgeree is a delicious smoked fish dish with curried rice topped with egg and served with lemon halves. It's traditionally made with smoked haddock but you can use any smoked fish. This simple recipe is ready in just 40 minutes and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's not overly spicy and is one of my favourite smoked haddock recipes.
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More Smoked Haddock Recipes
If you're looking for more Smoked Haddock recipes, you might also like Cullen Skink or Smoked Haddock and Prawn Chowder.
Where does Kedgeree originate?
This spicy rice and fish dish originally came from India as a breakfast dish, but nowadays is mostly eaten as a main meal. As far as I can tell, the origin and meaning of the name comes from the name given to rice dishes of this type but doesn't mean anything specific. During the Colonial days in India, it was apparently served to the British for breakfast. It was introduced to Victorian Britain and became a popular dish. Nowadays it's mostly eaten as a main meal rather than a breakfast!
Recipe Tips and Variations
This Kedgeree recipe is quite simple and I've deliberately tried to keep things as easy as possible. I've opted to cook everything apart from the eggs in the one pan. I like to poach the haddock in water and then use this same water to cook the rice. This way, you get the full flavour of the fish and there's no waste.
Smoked Haddock Traditionally Kedgeree is made with smoked haddock but you could use any smoked fish such as smoked mackerel, salmon, kippers or hake.
Spice I use a medium curry powder as it gives a gentle spicy flavour but is not too overpowering. We still want to be able to taste the nice smokiness of the fish. It is of course a matter of personal taste so you can use a mild or stronger curry powder if you prefer.
Peas Most Kedgeree recipes include peas. They give the dish a nice sweetness and add some colour and extra nutrition. Garden peas are the best. If you don't want to use peas, you can leave them out. I wouldn't recommend any substitutes as it would alter the flavour and look of the dish.
Eggs. Eggs are a key part of a kedgeree recipe, probably because it started life as a breakfast dish. You can boil your eggs or poach them. Personally I like a nice runny yoke to mix with the rice.
Butter. I like to fry the onions in butter rather than using an oil. The butter works well for browning the onions and gives the dish a lovely flavour. Fry over a low to medium heat so the butter doesn't burn. You can of course use an oil if you prefer, but the flavour will be slightly different.
How to make it
Cook Haddock 
Fry onions & rice 
Add water. 
Skin & flake fish. 
Stir through peas & fish 
Serve with egg
- Poach the haddock in a large frying pan. If you want to boil your eggs, cook them at the same time as the fish in a separate pan. Place the eggs in a pan of cold water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and simmer for 4 - 6 minutes for a runny to soft yolk and 8 - 12 minutes for a hard yolk. Remove the fish from the pan and pour the water into a jug to use later.
- Melt the butter in the frying pan and fry the onions. Stir in the curry powder and the rice and make sure the rice is well coated in the butter.
- Add the amount of cooking water as stated on the recipe card, to the rice. Stir it and leave it to simmer for 8 minutes.
- Remove the skin from the fish and flake it into chunks. This is also a good time to take the shells off the eggs. Give the eggs a gentle tap and peel the shells off.
- Add the flaked smoked haddock and the peas to the rice and simmer again for 4 - 5 minutes.
- If you want to use poached eggs, poach your eggs now so they will be nice and warm when you come to serve. Poach for 3 - 4 minutes for a nice runny yolk.
- Take the pan off the heat and season the kedgeree with salt and pepper. Cover it and let it rest for 4 minutes then add the parsley. Serve each portion with an egg and half a lemon over the top.
What to serve with Kedgeree
Kedgeree is a one pot dish as it already contains fish, rice, vegetables and egg. Some people also like to serve it with some crusty bread, which goes well. A little fresh parsley sprinkled over the top not only adds some colour, but some nice fresh flavour.
Sustainability
Buying fish from a sustainable source is important as it protects fish stocks and also ensures the fish is sourced in a way that doesn't harm other marine life. The easiest way to know, is to look out for the blue Marine Conservation Society logo. The Marine Conservation Society monitor the sustainability of different fish stocks. Their Good Fish Guide, has all the up to date information.
The curry powder, lemons, basmati rice and black pepper can all be bought Fairtrade, which helps support some of the world's poorest farmers. The Fairtrade organisation also enures the farmers are paid a fair living wage for their produce.
Storing, reheating and freezing Kedgeree
You can eat Kedgeree hot or cold. You should store it in the fridge as soon as possible as rice shouldn't be left out at room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for 1 day and leftovers are great for lunch the next day. You can reheat it but make sure it is piping hot all the way through. Kedgeree can be frozen for up to one month. Cooked eggs however don't freeze well as they go too rubbery so leave those out.
Quick Video
📖 Recipe
Smoked Haddock Kedgeree with Poached Egg
Ingredients
- 140 g frozen peas organic, thawed
- 500 g smoked haddock undyed fillets, bones removed, MSC certified
- 4 eggs organic or free range
- 50 g butter organic
- 1 onions organic, peeled and chopped
- 4 teaspoon medium curry powder organic, fairtrade (or less if feeding small children)
- 300 g basmati rice organic, fairtrade
- 800 ml water used to cook haddock use this quantity to cook the rice
- 3 tablespoon fresh parsley organic, chopped
- 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade
- 2 lemons organic, fairtrade, halved, to serve
Instructions
- Lay the peas in a single layer on a plate to defrost.140 g frozen peas
- Place the haddock fillets in a frying pan, skin side up, cover with water, bring to a boil then lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 8 minutes.500 g smoked haddock
- At the same time, place the eggs in a pan of cold water, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 4 minutes for a soft yolk and 7 minutes for a firm yolk. Remove them from the pan, run under cold water for 1 minute and place in a bowl of cold water to keep them from cooking further.4 eggs
- When the fish is cooked, remove it from the pan and place it on a dish. Cover to keep warm. Drain off the water into a measuring jug (do this over the sink)
- In the same frying pan, melt the butter over a low to medium heat and fry the onions for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for ½ minute.. Stir in the rice making sure it is well coated with the butter and curry powder50 g butter, 1 onions, 4 teaspoon medium curry powder, 300 g basmati rice
- Add the amount of cooking water from the haddock as noted in the ingredients list, to the rice. If you don't have enough, top up with boiled water. Stir once and when the water starts to simmer cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 8 minutes.. Remove the skin from the haddock and flake it into chunks. This is also a good time to remove the shells from the eggs.800 ml water
- When the rice has simmered for 8 minutes, stir in the haddock and the peas. Cover with a lid and simmer for a further 4 - 5 minutes until the rice is cooked. Add more water if necessary.
- Remove the pan from the heat, season with salt and pepper and cover. Let it stand for 4 minutes.. Add the parsley and stir in with a fork then serve topped with a boiled egg and half a lemon on the side.3 tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 dash black pepper, 2 lemons
Notes
Tips
Smoked Haddock Traditionally Kedgeree is made with smoked haddock but you could use any smoked fish such as smoked mackerel, salmon, kippers or hake. Spice I use a medium curry powder as it gives a gentle spicy flavour without overpowering the fish. You can use a mild or stronger curry powder if you prefer. Peas Most Kedgeree recipes include peas. They give the dish a nice sweetness and add some colour and extra nutrition. Garden peas are the best. If you don't want to use peas, you can leave them out. Eggs. Eggs are a key part of a kedgeree recipe. You can boil your eggs or poach them. Butter. Frying the onions in butter gives a lovely colour and flavour. Fry over a low to medium heat so the butter doesn't burn. You can of course use an oil if you prefer, but the flavour will be slightly different.Storing Reheating and Freezing Kedgeree
You can eat Kedgeree hot or cold. You should store it in the fridge as soon as possible as rice shouldn't be left out at room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for 1 day. You can reheat it but make sure it is piping hot all the way through. Kedgeree can be frozen for up to one month. Cooked eggs however don't freeze well as they go too rubbery so leave those out.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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