Simple smoked haddock kedgeree is quick to prepare, mixing the smokiness of haddock with egg and a lightly spiced rice, aromatic with a warming blend of spices. Traditionally served for breakfast, smoked haddock kedgeree also makes a great light dinner dish.
This easy smoked haddock kedgeree is a favourite dish of mine, due entirely to my love of both smoked haddock and spice. Smoked haddock is one of my favourite fishes to eat, something I rarely get past on any restaurant menu when I'm eating out.
I've played with this recipe a lot over the years and read many versions. Some add cream, which I've tried but don't particularly enjoy. I believe the cream dulls the flavour of the spicing and the fish.
There are many variations to smoked haddock kedgeree in terms of the spicing for the dish. For example, some recipes suggest adding curry powder. I do not like to add curry powder as I find this overpowers the smoked haddock.
This is the way I like to eat this delicately spiced fish, egg and rice dish. Kedgeree for breakfast is a real treat, but it's equally enjoyable for either lunch or light dinner as it is for breakfast.
Why you'll love this recipe
- This is a really easy recipe to prepare and cook,
- With subtle spicing this is a great recipe to increase the amount of fish in your weekly diet.
- Ideal for gluten free diets provided to use a gluten free chicken stock.
- With a few easy swaps this recipe is dairy free, poach the fish in water and replace the butter with olive oil.
Recipe ingredients
Poached smoked haddock ingredients
- Fish - I use 2 small undyed smoked haddock fillets, weighing approximately 70-80g each.
- Onion - 2 slices of onion is added to the poaching liquid to flavour the fish.
- Dry spices - I add bay leaves and black peppercorns to the poaching liquid.
- Poaching liquid - I use a combination of whole milk and water to poach the fish.
Spiced rice ingredients
- Butter - I use butter to sauté the onion.
- Onion - one small onion is added to this recipe, you could also use a banana shallot.
- Dry spices - the rice is flavoured with green cardamon pods, curry leaves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and ground turmeric.
- Rice - I like to use white basmati rice in this recipe.
- Stock - I use chicken stock to cook the rice.
- Eggs - free range egg are hard boiled and chopped, before stirring through the rice.
- Seasoning - I season the rice with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Fresh herbs - I stir some freshly chopped parsley through the rice before serving. Parsley is a great herb pairing with fish.
How to make smoked haddock kedgeree
Poaching the fish
- To poach the smoked haddock, place the onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and milk into a pan with a little water and bring to the boil.
- Immediately turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and add the smoked haddock fillets, ensure there is enough liquid to cover the fish, if not add a little more water.
- Poach the fish gently for 4-5 minutes then remove onto a plate and set aside to cool. Once the fish has cooled sufficiently break each fillet into large flakes and check there are no bones. Set aside.
TOP TIP: Rather than waste the poaching liquid, I will sometimes poach some extra smoked haddock, then use the poaching liquid and extra fish to make Cullen Skink, a traditional soup made with smoked haddock and potatoes.
Spiced rice
- Add the ghee or butter to a large frying pan, and melt over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until the onion has softened but not coloured.
- Add the spices and sauté gently for a minute until the spices have released their aroma.
- Stir the rice into the spicy onion mixture and ensure each grain is coated in the spiced butter.
- Add the chicken stock and a teaspoon of salt, bring to the boil before turning down to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes checking from time to time to ensure the rice hasn't dried out. Add a little more water during the cooking time if required.
- Meanwhile hard boil the eggs for 7 minutes. Once cooked peel the eggs, chop up, then set aside.
- Once the rice has cooked remove and discard the whole spices, then stir through the smoked haddock flakes and the chopped up eggs, heat through for 2-3 minutes.
- Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as required.
- Stir through the chopped parsley and serve immediately onto warmed plates.
Recipe variations
- White fish - You can swap the smoked haddock for another smoked white fish like smoked cod.
- Oily fish - You could also swap for an oily fish; hot smoked salmon, smoked mackerel or kippers (smoked herring) are great substitutes.
- Herbs - Coriander leaf is a great substitute for parsley.
- Dairy free - For a dairy free kedgeree poach the fish in water only and replace the butter for olive oil in the spiced rice recipe.
Serving suggestions
This is a very filling dish, therefore I like to keep things simple and light. I'd recommend a fresh salad of leafy greens, tomatoes and cucumber, chopped up with some fresh parsley or coriander leaf and a light salad dressing like my French Dressing.
Useful hints and tips
- Always wash the rice to remove as much of the excess starch from the rice before you start cooking. Washing the rice results in fluffier rice and more separated grains of rice.
- Subtle spicing: the success of this dish is down to the subtlety of the spicing. It's important that you don't overpower the dish with too much spice, use just enough to flavour the rice, allowing the smoked haddock to shine through.
- Always use fresh spice: I always recommend using the freshest of spice available to you. Don't use cardamon pods that have been kicking around in your cupboards for years as this will adversely affect the flavour. When it comes to spices, I recommend a regular check on use by dates and binning any out of date spices. I tend to buy spices in smaller quantities and often, this way they are always fresh.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
There are many variations as to the origin of this simply spiced rice dish. Its believed to be derived from the Indian dish khichari. Khichari is a comfort dish of lightly spiced rice and lentils, ideal for spice fearing Brits in the early days of the Raj. However, it was the British who added the fish and egg to the dish. In India it's likely to have been fresh local fish, the smoked haddock is likely a later addition. This dish was very much part of the Victorian breakfast table for the wealthy.
Kedgeree is not a make ahead dish. The joy of good kedgeree is the freshness of the flavours. You really don't want the rice sitting and going soggy! Furthermore, I never cook the fish in advance. It is so easy to overcook fish, and there really is nothing worse than dry, overcooked fish. This is exactly what you would end up with if you were to cook the fish before hand!
Pin the recipe
Additional recipe suggestions
Try some of my favourite savoury breakfast recipes:
- Omelette Arnold Bennett
- Easy Spanish Tortilla with Chorizo
- Croque Madame
- Chorizo & Chickpea Hash
- Baked Eggs
- Curried Baked Eggs
- Green Omelette
- Parma Ham & Egg Savoury Muffins
Hosting your own brunch then take the stress out of it and head to my Ultimate Guide to Brunch. As well as having a great selection of our brunch recipes it contains some great hints, tips and advice to help you get started.
Simple Smoked Haddock Kedgeree
Equipment
- Large frying pan
- Measuring jug
- measuring spoons
- chopping board
- Sharp kitchen knife
Ingredients
Poached fish
- 2 small undyed smoked haddock fillets (approx 70-80g each)
- 2 slices of onion
- 2 fresh bay leaves (use dry if no fresh)
- 6 black peppercorns
- 200 ml milk
- water
Spiced rice
- 20 g butter
- 1 small onion (finely diced)
- 2-3 green cardamon pods
- 2 curry leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2.5 cm cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 160 g basmati rice
- 400 ml chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 small handful of parsley (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Poaching the fish
- To poach the smoked haddock, place the onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and milk into a pan with a little water and bring to the boil.
- Immediately turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and add the smoked haddock fillets, ensure there is enough liquid to cover the fish, if not add a little more water.
- Poach the fish gently for 4-5 minutes then remove onto a plate and set aside to cool. Once the fish has cooled sufficiently break each fillet into large flakes and check there are no bones. Set aside.
Spiced rice
- Add the ghee or butter to a large frying pan, and melt over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until the onion has softened but not coloured.
- Add the spices and sauté gently for a minute until the spices have released their aroma.
- Stir the rice into the spicy onion mixture and ensure each grain is coated in the spiced butter.
- Add the chicken stock and a teaspoon of salt, bring to the boil before turning down to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes checking from time to time to ensure the rice hasn't dried out. Add a little more water during the cooking time if required.
- Meanwhile hard boil the eggs for 7 minutes. Once cooked peel the eggs, chop up, then set aside.
- Once the rice has cooked remove and discard the whole spices, then stir through the smoked haddock flakes and the chopped up eggs, heat through for 2-3 minutes.
- Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as required. Stir through the chopped parsley and serve immediately onto warmed plates.
Notes
- Always wash the rice and remove as much of the dust and starch as you can before cooking.
- You can swap the smoked haddock for another smoked white fish like smoked cod.
- You could also swap for an oily fish like hot smoked salmon, or smoked mackerel is a good substitute.
- Coriander leaf is a great substitute for parsley.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Chloe says
i am not into smoked fish but I love spiced rice so my dad had the whole recipe and i served my rice with some chicken - both really delicious meals!
Lesley says
That's a great idea Chloe, the rice has a lovely mild spice to it that would work perfectly with chicken too.
Hazel says
We ate a lot of kedgeree when I was growing up and I just love it. Your recipe was easy to follow and I really enjoyed revisiting some flavourful memories of this dish.
Lesley says
Thank you Hazel, I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Tim says
Unless I missed it, does not say what to do with the milk the fish has poached in, which will have absorbed flavours. Does one discard the pepper corns, onion etc. after poaching and pour the milk over the dish?
I want to make this as preferred older style kedgeree recipes that had spices but not full curry powder.
Lesley says
Thank you for your message Tim, I will update the recipe card to make things clearer once I'm back at my desk. You can absolutely use a little of the milk to make the rice if you wish. However I discard the milk as I like the rice to be fresh and light curry tasting. Depending on the smoked haddock used the milk can often be a bit too smoky and overpowering, but it is entirely down to personal taste.
Fiona says
I love kedgeree but no body else in my family does - I must try and make it again and hopefully introduce my youngest who has no preconceptions of any food in the hope he likes it and thus persuading his big sisters that it is nice!
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
I want to make this. I love kedgeree although not for breakfast but it's absolutely ages since I have made it and reading your post has made me want to rush out and buy some smoked haddock. I have everything else. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Lesley says
Thank you Jacqui, I'm with you! Although traditionally a breakfast dish I love eating this at dinnertime - comfort in a bowl. Lesley x
Michelle says
Thanks Kerry, have to say it was so delicious and the cardamon from Spice Kitchen was unbelievably fragrant that I threw the rest out that I had! The perfect Friday night comfort food! Cheers, Michelle x
Kerry says
Sounds delicious! Love kedegeree