Parsnip Kedgeree by Carina Contini of Cannonball Restaurant in Edinburgh

This kedgeree has more vegetables than most so its lighter just as tasty. The parsnips can either be grated or cut into small cubes. If you grate them, they’ll dissolve into the rice and give a light background flavour whereas little cubes will give more of a contrast. I’ve left the eggs out of my kedgeree but have added extra smoked haddock. This is simply to keep my family happy, which can be tricky at the best of times. Many recipes use easy-cook rice but I prefer basmati. The flavour and texture are in another league.

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Ingredients

Serves 4

4 parsnips

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Generous pinch of salt

2 tsp ground cumin

600g undyed smoked haddock fillet, skin left on

600ml full-fat milk

6 cardamom pods

100g unsalted butter, plus extra to finish

1 onion, very finely chopped

400g basmati rice

1 tbsp curry powder

600ml vegetable stock or light fish stock

Handful of flat leaf parsley

Handful of coriander

To serve

Cayenne pepper

4 wedges of unwaxed lemon

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Peel the parsnips and cut them into pieces or grate them. Place on a roasting tray with a drizzle of olive oil, the salt and the cumin. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes until tender and slightly golden. Meanwhile, prepare the haddock. Place in a pan, cover with milk and add the cardamom pods. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Remove the haddock from the milk and flake the fish from the skin. Be sure to remove any bones. Set aside. Strain the milk and set aside. Heat the butter and remaining olive oil in a large casserole. When they are hot, add the onion and fry until soft and translucent. Add the rice and curry powder and cook for a few minutes to release the flavours. Add half the haddock-poaching milk and the stock. Simmer for about 12 minutes until the rice is cooked but still has some bite. It should be flaky and fluffy. Remove from the heat. Fold in the roasted parsnips, flaked haddock, parsley, coriander and a generous knob of butter. Serve with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper, if you like it hot, and a wedge of lemon or lime.

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