Mention of kedgeree in the US and will probably be met with blank stares and though I first came across it in Ireland, it's essentially an English dish. It gets its name from an Indian dish of rice, lentils and assorted other ingredients, variously spelled khichri or kitchri.

English versions bear little resemblance to the original Indian dish. As with all classic dishes there are always those who insist that there is only one way to make it that is correct. So, in a spirit of culinary ecumenism, I'll confess that I have no such notions of what is the "right" way to make this dish. This is my way and you should feel free to change it as you wish.

A few notes first. This is a great dish for a brunch as it can be kept warm with no problems. It also makes a wonderful breakfast-- and it is in this role that I am most familiar with it -- or a light supper. It works well with Mimosas or Bloody Marys and can be served with sliced fresh mango or mango chutney.

1 Tablespoon butter
Half a small onion finely diced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 cups of long grain rice, rinsed
12oz - 1lb smoked fish, flaked -- see note below
2 hard boiled eggs -- peeled and chopped
1/2 cup cream, warmed gently
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

Cook the rice as per instructions.

Meanwhile sauté the onion, turmeric, cayenne and curry powder gently in the butter for about 5 minutes until the onion softens.

In a large bowl gently mix the cooked rice, the onion mix, the flaked fish and the hard-boiled eggs. Then add the cream, the lemon juice, the white pepper and a grating of nutmeg. If you don't have white pepper, black is fine. You will probably not need salt in this recipe due to the saltiness of the fish.

Put the mixture in a buttered ovenproof dish and place the dish in the oven until heated through.

Note on the fish: any smoked fish will do but smoked haddock is considered to be the best. It's what I like, when I can find it. Smoked salmon is a good choice. If the fish you are using is still quite moist just go ahead and use it as it is. If it's pretty dry, soak it in milk for an hour or so and poach it gently in fresh milk. You can use this poaching liquid to substitute for the cream in the recipe. It brings the fat content down somewhat. It's also handy in case you want to adjust the moisture content.

Enjoy.
Mick