Kedgeree – a traditional English dish comprised of curried rice with smoked fish and boiled eggs. Think of it like a British biryani! A fabulous, economical fish and rice recipe that’s easy to make and seriously delicious.
Kedgeree – English smoked fish and rice
Is it totally uncouth to call Kedgeree an “English biryani”?? It’s just how I sometimes think of it and I mean it in the most flattering way. It’s a pretty well established fact that I consider biryani to be one of the great rice dishes on this planet.
In all seriousness though, Kedgeree is a wonderful example of true fusion food. It brings together rice and spices from the Subcontinent with classic English breakfast foods like boiled eggs and smoked fish. The result is a delicious and unique Anglo-Indian whirlwind of flavours and textures.
Traditionally kedgeree was a breakfast dish in Britain but these days it’s served at anytime throughout the day. Straightforward to make, if you’re new to using smoked fish in meals, it’s an excellent way to start!
Ingredients in Kedgeree
I’m sure there are fancy versions of kedgeree out there but we’re making a traditional version today. The hero ingredient is the smoked fish. Smoked haddock is probably the most traditional choice though cod makes an excellent alternative.
Smoked haddock (or cod) – Smoked haddock is a preserved fish fillet product sold at grocery stores at the seafood counter, deli or packed in the fridge section. Oh, also fish mongers of course! It offers an especially economical way to use fish in a meal because smoked haddock/cod is firstly much cheaper than most fresh fish, only about $15/kg here in Australia compared to, say, raw snapper fillets which are around $50/kg. Being packed with flavour, a little also goes a long way.
What exactly is smoked haddock? Smoked haddock is fresh haddock (a northern European cod) that’s been brined (ie. infused with salt) then cold smoked to infuse it with a lovely smokey flavour. When haddock is naturally smoked, it is a pale yellow-brown colour. Commercial produced smoked haddock tends to lack colour so is often dyed an orange colour to make it look more like the “real thing”.
The fish is poached and then flaked into chunks. We use the flavoured poaching liquid to then cook the rice.
Boiled eggs (9 minute eggs using my boiled eggs recipe) – Traditional addition along with smoked fish. Eggs also stretch the fish by adding further protein.
Peas – For pops of freshness, colour and introduce some good vegetable matter into our rice dish.
Coriander/cilantro – For stirring through and garnish.
Rice and curried butter
The thing that makes Kedgeree special is the spiced butter!
Rice – Carries the bulk of the dish! Long grain or basmati rice is best for this dish, for nice long-shaped rice grains and the desired fluffy texture. Medium grain and short grain (sushi) rice will work too though the rice is a little sticker, as is the nature of the rice.
Recipe is not suitable for risotto rice, paella rice, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa or faux rice (cauliflower rice etc).
Spices: Curry powder and turmeric – You can really use any curry powder here though traditionally used is an English / Western curry powder (as opposed to authentic Indian or Asian curry powder mix). It’s not spicy (unless you opt for the HOT type!), it’s a mix of warm spices including cumin, coriander, clove and turmeric. I use Clives of India and Keens.
We add a little extra turmeric to brighten the dish’s colour, otherwise the rice can look a little brown.
Curry leaves and cardamom – Additional nods to the Indian heritage of this dish. Curry leaves for fragrance and because it looks attractive, while cardamom for its unique perfume and flavour. However both are optional!
Curry leaves – A magnificent ingredient used in Indian/Sri Lankan cooking! Fairly widely available these days in grocery stores in Australia (Coles, woolies, Harris farms), leftovers freeze 100% perfectly. Use in Vindaloo, Dal, South Indian eggplant curry and Samosa Pie. Also easy to grow (I have a plant *says the plant-killer, smugly*) (PS. curry plants are indestructible)
Butter – For sauteing and rich flavour.
Onion and garlic – Usual base flavourings.
Chicken stock – Cooking the rice in the chicken stock flavoured with the fish imparts a deliciously savoury taste to the rice that’s a step up the flavour ladder from plain water.
Why not fish stock? Because mass produced store bought fish stock is not very nice! However if you have fresh fish stock and prefer a more seafood-y tasting biryani, go for it!
How to make Kedgeree
Kedgeree is made by poaching the fish, then cooking the rice in the poaching liquid. The rice is then tossed in a flavourful curried butter before tossing the fish back in and finishing with boiled eggs.
Cooking the smoked fish
Cold smoked fish (other than salmon or other sashimi grade fish) needs to be cooked before eating. For Kedgeree, the fish is gently poached in stock which is then used to cook the rice. Flavour retention to the max!
Poach fish 8 minutes – Bring the stock to a boil. Place the fish in then turn the heat down so the liquid is barely rippling. Poach for 8 minutes or until the flesh flakes.
Remove skin – Remove the fish from the poaching liquid and transfer to a plate. Remove and discard the skin – I find a butter knife helpful.
Flake the flesh into large chunks. Keep them large as they will break a little more when tossed through the rice.
Reserve 1/2 cup liquid – Measure out 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the poaching liquid. Set aside – we will drizzle this over the finished dish to moisten the rice.
Cook rice
Fish done. Now we cook the rice in the flavoured poaching liquid and make a cured butter to toss the rice in. You know this is going to be good!
Add the rice into the poaching liquid then bring it to a simmer on high heat without the lid.
Cook 13 minutes – Place the lid on then turn the heat down to low. Cook for 13 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. No peeking, no stirring!
Rest and fluff – Remove from the stove with the lid still on and rest for 10 minutes (lid still on!). Then fluff the rice, ready to toss into the curried butter!
Curried butter – While the rice is resting, start the curried butter. Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot (large enough to fit all the rice). Add the cardamom pods and curry leaves and stir for 30 seconds. Sauté the garlic and onion then stir in the spices. Be prepared for amazing smells!
Add the rice and toss to coat in the curried butter. Add the reserved stock and toss through – this moistens the rice.
Peas and coriander – Add the thawed peas and most of the coriander (reserve a bit for garnish) and toss through. The heat from the rice is all that’s needed to cook warm through the thawed peas.
Fish – Add the flakes of fish and toss through gently, taking care to ensure there are some nice large chunks.
Stud with eggs – Tops with halved eggs and sprinkle with coriander. Then serve!
To serve, just spoon into bowls and eat as is. There’s no need for sauce – the rice is nice and moist, and there’s certainly no need for extra flavour!
It will keep for a few days in the fridge but it’s best freshly made as rice tends to dry out in the fridge overnight. Reheating is best done in the microwave with a sprinkle of water to make the rice nice and steamy again.
If you try this, tell me if you agree with my description of it as an English biryani!!! 🙂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Kedgeree – British curried rice and fish
Ingredients
- 4 cups/ 1 litre chicken stock/broth , low-sodium
- 500g/1 lb smoked haddock or cod , skin-on (or other smoked fish, Note 1)
- 2 1/4 cups long grain rice , uncooked
- 75g / 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 15 curry leaves (Note 2)
- 6 green cardamom pods , lightly crushed (Note 3)
- 1 brown onion , diced
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 2 tsp curry powder (anything! Use spicy if you want, I use mild)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup frozen peas , thawed
- 1/2 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (sub green onion or parsley)
- 3 hard boiled eggs , halved or quartered (9 minute cook)
Instructions
- Poach fish – Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan or small pot. Place fish in (it should all be just about submerged, Note 4) and adjust heat so the stock is barely rippling. Poach it gently for 8 minutes or until the fish flakes apart. Remove fish onto a large plate.
- Flake fish – When cool enough to handle, discard skin (gently scrape with a butter knife) and flake fish into large pieces, checking for any bones.
- Reserve stock – Measure out 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid and set aside for later (drizzle on at end to juice up the rice).
- Cook rice 13 min – Add rice into the poaching liquid in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover with lid then reduce heat to low. Cook for 13 minutes.
- Rest rice 10 min – Remove the saucepan from the stove with the lid on and rest for 10 minutes. Fluff rice using a rubber spatula.
- Curried butter – While the rice is resting, melt the butter in a very large (30cm/12") non stick skillet or pot, over medium-high heat. Add the cardamom pods and curry leaves and stir for 30 seconds. Add the onions, garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until browning at the edges, stirring regularly.
- Toss rice – Lower heat to medium. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric, and then the rice. Toss the rice in the spiced butter until well coated and uniformly yellow. Pour over the reserved 1/2 cup of fish poaching stock, and toss to mix through (it moistens the rice).
- Peas & fish – Stir through the peas and most of the coriander (hold some back for garnish). Then gently fold through the fish, taking care to keep some pieces in large chunks.
- Serve – Spoon out rice onto one large platter or individual plates to serve. Top with boiled egg halves, and garnish with the remaining coriander. EAT!
Recipe Notes:
Life of Dozer
When I took the photo for a big Mother’s Day KitchenAid giveaway currently happening on Instagram….
…..there’s just no way this wasn’t going to happen!! 😂
Will try this recipe looks yummy thank you Nagi.
Living in USA, I am unable to find smoked cod or haddock and to order, the price is outrageous. So does Coles ship do you know?
Linda Coles doesn’t ship overseas but I found maybe you’ll find these and can use those instead in USA.. Salmon, mackerel, whitefish and trout. I’d pick from the last three if you have a choice.
Most any smoked fish will do, mum used to make it with smoked kippers or smoked trout. It needs to be a strong tasting fish because of the curry powder.Never tried it but possibly cold smoked salmon fillets would be worth a go.
Thank you, but it’s nearly impossible to find any good smoked fish here. I may need to purchase a smoker : )
Looks delicious. I make a simpler, more casual, curried rice by dumping curry powder, etc into the water before bringing it to a boil and adding rice. The result is tasty, colorful, quick and easy. I’ve successfully added curry powder to rice pilaf to accompany other dishes.
My husband raves about the kedgeree his fabulous cook Mom used to make but she used good tinned salmon and probably not curry (or much for kids). Also in the ‘boonies’ in Ontario, Canada hard to find good smoked fish we’re going to try either some salmon filets or even tinned salmon with some smoked salmon mixed in. Recipe looks yummy. Thanks Nagi! (and Dozer)
It’s easy to smoke a fish fillet yourself. Rub a bit of salt into your fish fillet. Check for and remove bones. Place a couple of teaspoons of tea leaves on aluminium foil on the bottom of a metal baking dish which has a lid. Sit your fish fillet on an oiled cake cooling rack. Put the lid on your baking dish, and heat it on the stovetop until you see smoke coming out Place the cake rack with fillet in the baking dish. Replace the lid and cook for 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn off gas and allow the fish to sit in the smoke until cool. So yummy!
Your smoked fish sounds wonderful and delicious so I’m saving it to make soon. Thanks Ros.
Great, you’ll love it I’m sure!
Sounds great! I’m always on the lookout for tasty salmon recipes. I’ll have to try that soon x
Try looking for kippers in your frozen food section – they’re from New Brunswick, smoked, and available in many stores across the country (I’m in southern BC). You might have to de-bone them, but they’ll give that lovely smoked flavour
Will try this recipe as quite love kedgeree!
When I make it I tend to use salmon, either a piece of hot smoked salmon or left over cooked salmon fillet (mainly using up Xmas leftovers).
I will try your idea of hot smoked salmon Kathryn as I’m not keen on the orange coloured cod from Woolies. My husband loves it but I’m not keen on the artificial colours!
Thanks for the tip👏
In England (and I assume the rest of the UK), we can get smoked haddock without the orange dye in most supermarkets (it’s more expensive though!)
My English mum had her own take on this when I was growing up in South Africa. Fond memories of this regular comfort dish. I think she used kippers and went heavy on the squeezed lemon and parsely. No curry leaves that she knew about back in the 70s but I would definitely add them now!
Agreed curry leaves and cardamom were never part of the original, but they certainly take this humble dish up a notch! But I’ve always enjoyed spices over bland English food (said as an English gal!)
Antes que nada esa foto de Dozer está muy linda. Me encanta este plato, lo he preparado pero con pescado no ahumado e igual queda muy rico. Gracias por compartirlo
Oh Nagi! I remember having to cook this in home ec a very very long time ago…. this looks SOOO MUCH yummier. will be trying it very soon. Another aside is Mum used to do a smoked haddock dish in a sauce that i wouldn’t touch as a child. it def wasn’t this, can’t remember what she called it.
Two cans of smoked sprats ($3 each from Woolies) works fine. This recipe is very similar to my (late, English) Grandmother’s – however she never used coriander (I don’t think she’d even heard of it) but parsley instead – not just a garnish but two cups at least. She had a theory it meant your breath wasn’t as fishy after eating it.
My mum used a tonne of parsley in hers too!
This looks like a yummy recipe. I live in the northern suburbs of Chicago and haven’t been able to get smoked cod or smoked haddock. Would smoked paprika be a substitute? Thanks and lots of belly rubs to Dozer.
I’d probably try “kipper snacks” which are canned smoked boneless fillets of herring (I often remove the skin as I find it unappealing, but it’s not absolutely necessary). Two very common brands are Brunswick and Polar (Polar has less sodium if that’s an issue for you), found near the tuna and sardines. Usually well under $2 per can (about 3.25 oz.) No need to cook since it’s been canned.
(These brands and prices are what I’ve found in my local grocery stores in Oregon.)
Smoked paprika is a completely different flavour to wood smoked haddock etc. BUT smoked paprika works with curry flavours – it’s just a different dish. Next best sub is canned smoked fish, here it’s smoked kippers. I’ve never seen canned smoked trout sadly.
Do you have a Trader Joe’s? They sell a canned smoked trout – you wouldn’t be able to poach it, but it’s already cooked, so you wouldn’t need to.
Totally pleased to see this recipe in my mailbox today! Grew up eating a really terrible version of this made by my Mom who does not cook. She used canned tuna, as smoked fish was not easy to come by in Southern California where we grew. She ate it during the War (WW2) and learned to make it in a cooking class in England, when she was serving as a draftsman for the RAF.! I have been thinking about making kedgeree for couple of weeks now. We do not readily have smoked cod available. I was thinking of poaching the cod in water with liquid smoke flavor, then making the rice with that water. I have done this in the past. So glad to see you recipe for a guideline for the basics. Thanks.
I think using liquid smoke is a wonderful idea!
Cod and haddock so expensive in UK (as are most things). Kippers much more economical and more breakfasty (kedgeree is a breakfast dish in uk, but you could have it for a late night supper too, bit like a late-night bowl of cereal!).
Agree canned smoked kippers are a great substitute!
I don’t think it’s easy to find raw smoked haddock or cod in the US. Any suggestions? I can see it can be ordered from outside the country but at a high premium.
I was thinking of the canned smoked trout they sell at Trader Joe’s. It’s still a white fish, but it’s cooked, so you’d have to skip the poaching part. The only other smoked fish I know of is smoked mackerel they sell in hanging packages in the cold case of some stores where they have the smoked salmon. But that’s a fattier fish – I call it the bacon of the fish world!
Smoked mackerel is a completely different flavour to haddock. I would use canned smoked kippers as my easy to find choice. As somebody who has eaten kedgeree recently, fatty fish vs lean isn’t a big deal. Smoked fish is the deal breaker
Delicious but please use parsley, not coriander. With love from the UK.
Once of my favourite dishes ever…but, where can you get smoked haddock for $15 a kilo in Australia?!
Here in Melbourne, we’re lucky to find it for any less than $50…
Hi John
Smoked cod currently (2/5/23)
$13kg at Coles. Enjoy!
I’m in Melbourne. Smoked cod is $13/kg at coles
You have to be joking!!! $50 per kilo for Smoked haddock,
It is always vailable at Woolworths on the Gold Coast, Queensland. I purchased this product on the weekend at $12 per kilo on special. For months the usual price around $15 per kilo.
I believe this statement can be verified by most Australians who regularly buy smoked haddock
May 1, 2023.
Smoked Cod is $13 kilo in Brisbane. Nagi says either Haddock or Cod…….go the Cod then
$13.50 per Kg at Coles Deli today. I’m sure you’ve got a Coles in Melbourne.