Another of those things that the Empire confiscated in the colonial times – and I don’t mean the Elgin Marbles.
We have adopted the original rice-bean vehicle, or possibly the rice-lentil combo, which of course at source had nothing to do with haddock, let alone smoked. The origins of chicken tikka masala, here we come. Kedgeree - a strange concoction of rice, eggs and fish was born, served on a silver salver. Weren’t those good old days?
No, not quite. I do quite dislike western adaptations of original indigenous dishes, should they be the apparently innocuous carbonara with cream, or chop suey – or kebabs, in western interpretation anything threaded on a stick*. But kedgeree is a good dish where the combination of hot smoked fish and prawns with lightly spiced rice works as well as paella. I never cease to be amazed at those similarities across the globe.
I don’t much like smoked haddock that needs to be cooked, which features in a lot of kedgeree recipes: smoked fish for me is ready to be eaten. Also, haddock seems too much of a northern fish to go into a dish of Indian of origin so I’ve replaced it with hot smoked mackerel. Breakfast? I don’t know but it’s an excellent lunch dish and a brilliant starter.
*but I might be insulting western world, as I’m told apparently the origins of kebab go back to medieval soldiers skewering meat on their swords to roast over open fire. Or bits of enemies?