Nice Day For a Royal Wedding (and kedgeree)

Fit for a Princess, or a Duchess

Having previously tutted at the monumental hysteria caused by the Royal Wedding, I squealed with excitement all the way through, with my friend Pip fromt eh comfort of the sofa. I think our invites got lost in the post. Bloody Royal Mail. We oohed and aahed our way through the ceremony on BBC One, sipping on pink Cava and generally getting very silly with it all. Not to mention tipsy before midday. I had invited her over for bubbles and brunch, after hearing her boyfriend had chosen golf over Royal nuptials, what an outrage! The previous night, swimming in Sauvingnon Blanc, my sister gave me the idea to make kedgeree, perfect. I even had smoked haddock in the freezer, it was meant to be. Just like Wills and Kate.

Kedgeree is a slight faff, especially when you've just woken up, but oh so worth it. This feeds four. Hard boil four eggs. Poach two smoked haddock fillets by laying them skin side up in a big frying pan, cover with boiling water, add a bay leaf and a few peppercorns, and just simmer very gently for about 7 minutes. Then discard the water and let the fish cool a bit before peeling the skin off (should come away very easily, if not, it's not ready), flake and set aside. To make the magic sauce, fry a finely chopped onion in a big knob of butter until softened. Grind a tsp each of cumin and fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar, and add a clove of garlic and give that a good bash too. Add to onions and fry for 3 minutes. Squirt in a tsp tomato puree, add a tsp each of tumeric, curry powder, a pinch of saffron, a bay leaf and 150ml water and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes and season. Cook your rice (if I bother measuring I use half a cup per person). Now just combine everything, stir the sauce into the rice, gently stir in the fish without mushing it up, peel and quarter the eggs and top each bowl with them and some chopped parsley. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

This made a very suitable wedding breakfast, I'm pretty sure the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would have approved.