Smoked mackerel and spinach kedgeree with cardamom rice

I am suddenly busy constantly, most evenings I can remember back, and loads I can think of forwards. It seems people have decided that the early year hibernation is over and there is a new flurry of birthday parties, ballet outings, supper with friends out, supper with friends in, engagement parties, family gatherings... Spring is in the air, they are saying... The sun is out and the crocuses too, hopefully it will warm up soon.

So I need something for the sister to eat when she comes to visit; something warming with a hint of spring for tonight, and something long and adventurous to try when we have some time at the weekend.

We had all the ingredients for the Mackerel and horseradish salad, but I think it needed to be a little bit more warming than that, perhaps with a bit of rice and some spices. I found a lovely recipe for kedgeree, it had smoked mackerel flaked through it, wilted spinach, rice perfumed with cardamom pods and a soft boiled eggs on the top, this is based around that recipe. These amounts will serve two people.

Thinly slice half an onion and cook it on a low heat for about 10 minutes in 25g of butter, until it is soft and golden. When it is, add a teaspoon of medium curry powder and cook for another 3 minutes.

While the onion is cooking bring a small pan of water to a simmer and lower in 2 eggs, let them continue to simmer for 6 minutes. You're aiming for a soft yolk and a just done white, mine were a little bit under so I couldn't cut them up on the top, more of a very careful balance... When they are ready run them under a cold tap so you can handle them and gently remove the shell. You should be able to cut the into quarters... unlike me...

Put 120g of basmati rice in a small pan with 10 cardamom pods and a good pinch of salt, add 225ml of boiling water and let it simmer with the lid on for 8-10 minutes, or until the water has gone; then turn the heat off and allow it to sit for 10 minutes continuing to steam with the lid on.

Finally put 4 or 5 handful of spinach, about 120g, into the onions and allow it to wilt, then add the cardamom fragranced rice, with the pods removed. They taste of a shot of perfume if you accidentally bite into one... not nice... Flake in 180g of smoked mackerel fillet in bite sized pieces and allow everything to warm through. Add salt and pepper to your taste and a good squeeze of lemon.

Finally place the quartered soft egg on the top and serve. The mixture of curried onions, cardamom rice and smoky fish is really lovely.

Mackerel and horseradish salad

The smoked mackerel fillet ticks lots of boxes; healthy, cheap, sustainable fishing – I watched all of Hugh's fish fight and got a bit emotional when the North sea fishermen got so angry and upset about having to throw back all those poor wasted dead fish. Whereas the mackerel are often fished by line and are fast growing plentiful little guys.

This is a really easy lunch or light supper. One packet of smoked mackerel fillets usually has three or four fillets in it, depending on size and will feed a couple of people, maybe three small portions. Remove the skin from the fillets and tear them up into bite size pieces.



Put some leaves in the bottom of your bowls; rocket, spinach, watercress... whatever you choose, but these peppery ones work really well. I once found some wild watercress growing along the sides of a river in the Lake District that was ridiculously peppery, like mustard or wasabi, that kind of strength. I might try growing some as it was so much better than the packet stuff, in small doses...



Hard boil an egg per person, they take about 6/7 minutes after you have brought them to a simmer from cold water. Then run them under a cold tap to cool and stop cooking before you shell them. Mix a small pot of yoghurt with some horseradish, a few teaspoons, depending on how hot you like it, you can also use crème fraiche, and if the yoghurt is a a bit tart add half a teaspoon of sugar.

Then you just need to assemble; scatter the fish over the leaves, quarter the egg and place on top, scatter a few capers around, then drip a few teaspoons of the horseradish yoghurt around and about...