I think brunch is the most difficult meal to pull off. I know that may sound surprising but I think any meal centered around eggs becomes a race against time. Cooking is a lot like comedy, it all comes down to timing. And this is especially true when it comes to brunch. Poached eggs, fried eggs, bacon, and pancakes. All of these classic brunch items have different cook times and are difficult to make in bulk on a four-burner stove. Perhaps this is why we have to wait in those ponderously long lines for brunch at our favorite spot. Pulling off a delicious brunch at home can be a delicate operation but it is certainly not impossible. So let me show you how to make Kedgeree Fish Cake Eggs Benny at home while maintaining your sanity.

My first tip is to keep your numbers small. How small is small? Well, figure out how many eggs your frying pan can poach at one time and you have your number. But don’t forget, most people will eat two eggs, so make sure you have the stovetop space to accommodate another equally sized frying pan. That’s why there is no bacon to accompany my Kedgeree Fish Cake Eggs Benny, you have to be smart about your stovetop real estate. But if you feel brunch isn’t brunch without bacon, try making your bacon in the oven. If you want to feed a larger crowd, perhaps consider a brunch platter.

Number two – make your kedgeree mix the day before. This obviously pertains specifically to today’s Kedgeree Fish Cake Eggs Benny but the same goes for any fish cake or crab cake or croquette you have planned. Make sure you can quickly form and fry whatever cake or patty you’re planning to serve on the day. Plus, most of these mixes are easier to work with when they are significantly chilled.

And before we continue on with my brunch tips, let me explain what kedgeree is. I’m sure some of you are familiar but for those of you who aren’t, Kedgeree is a British dish with loose Indian influences. It falls under the same category as Mulligatawny soup and features rice sauté with onions and curry powder with tender flakes of smoked haddock. The dish is finished with a squeeze of lemon and finely chopped parsley or cilantro. As with most simple dishes like this, there is a lot of variation and room for experimentation when it comes to kedgeree. I included golden raisins, which are totally optional but highly recommended. Okay, back to brunch.

Pouring the Hollandaise onto the Kedgeree Fish Cake Eggs Benny

Brunch tip the third – take shortcuts where possible. You know I’m all about doing things the long way. I love to braise and I think time is often a crucial ingredient in most meals. But when you’re cooking for a crowd and there is an available “cheat” with delicious results, I say go for it. Case in point the immersion blender Hollandaise sauce detailed below. Hollandaise is the last thing to be added to eggs benny and is best served fresh. You cannot be fussing with a sauce while your English muffin, chosen protein, and eggs get cold. Take the fastest route to done as possible. I know it’s not the “traditional” way but the difference between the two, at least according to my palette, is unclockable.

Now for the fourth and final brunch tip – keep the sides simple. When you go to a restaurant you often have your choice of sides. Homefries, bacon, sausages, you name it. But when hosting at home in a domestic kitchen that can be a tall order. While you may want to put on a show, you don’t have the resources of a commercial kitchen to keep these items plate ready and plentiful. There’s nothing wrong with toast or fresh-cut fruit. You’ve likely made more than enough food anyway, so there’s no need to overthink the extras. Just slice an apple or cube a pineapple and call it a day. Oh! And have a carafe of freshly brewed coffee at the ready.

So that’s pretty much everything you need to know about hosting a brunch at home and by proxy the Kedgeree Fish Cake Eggs Benny. Hosting a brunch party is by no means stress-free but it is a nice change from the usual dinner party. And everyone gets to go to bed early. I’d call that a partying win when you’re in your thirties.

Enjoy!

Kedgeree Fish Cake Eggs Benny

Kedgeree Fish Cake Eggs Benny features kedgeree patties fried until golden and topped with fresh herbs, a poached egg, and a blanket of Hollandaise sauce.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 40

Cook Time 40

Chilling Time 2

Course brunch

Servings 4

Equipment

2 large skillets
1 immersion blender

Ingredients

Kedgeree Cakes

2 cups water
454g (1lb) smoked haddock
1 cup basmati rice
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
1 tbsp curry powder heaping
½ cup golden raisins optional
3 tbsp heavy cream
¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Poached Eggs

1 tsp white vinegar
8 large eggs

Hollandaise

2 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp water
1/4 tsp kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter melted

Garnish

fresh parsley leaves
fresh dill sprigs
shaved radish

Instructions

For the Kedgeree Cakes

Pour the water into a large skillet. Add the haddock and simmer over medium-low heat until the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Drain the fish reserving the poaching liquid. Using two forks, flake the fish into meaty chunks. Set it aside.
2 cups water, 454g (1lb) smoked haddock
Pour the poaching liquid into a small saucepan. Add the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set it aside.
1 cup basmati rice
Wipe out the skillet and add the butter. Melt over medium heat. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until just translucent. Stir in the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about a minute more.
2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 yellow onion, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic
Add the curry powder and the raisins and sauté until the raisins plump up slightly. Stir in the cooked rice and toss to coat. Stir in the cream.
1 tbsp curry powder, ½ cup golden raisins, 3 tbsp heavy cream
Return the haddock to the pan and add the parsley and lemon juice. Stir to combine and turn off the heat. Taste and season with additional salt accordingly.
¼ cup fresh parsley, 2 tbsp lemon juice
Transfer the kedgeree to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours. When the 2 hours are up. Take the kedgeree out of the fridge and mash it with a potato masher.** Add the eggs and panko breadcrumbs and stir to combine.
4 large eggs, 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Using an ice cream scoop as a guide, form the kedgeree into cakes. Make sure you really squeeze them to compress them. The mixture will feel loose, so pack the cakes tightly like a snowball.
Heat a 1/2 inch of neutral oil in a large skillet and fry the kedgeree cakes until golden on both sides, about 3-5 minutes each side. Transfer to a 150°F oven and keep warm until ready to serve.

For the Poached Eggs

Fill two skillets with 3-4 inches of water and bring them to a gentle simmer. Add the white vinegar.
1 tsp white vinegar
Crack one of the eggs into a ramekin. Create a vortex in the water using your spoon and bring the ramekin up to the surface of the water before tipping the egg in. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Poach your eggs until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. About 4-5 minutes.
8 large eggs
Carefully remove the eggs using a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel.

For the Hollandaise

While the eggs are poaching, place the yolks, lemon juice, dijon mustard, water, and salt in a glass just wide enough to fit an immersion blender all the way to the bottom.
2 egg yolks, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp water, 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Melt the butter in either a saucepan or a microwave until hot. Blend the egg yolks using an immersion blender. Slowly stream in the hot butter while continuing to blend. Blend until a thick golden sauce forms.
½ cup unsalted butter

To Serve

Place a kedgeree cake on a plate. Top the cake with a few sprigs of parsley and dill and place another cake on top. Perch a poached egg on top and cover it with hollandaise sauce. Finish each tower with shaved radish. Serve immediately.
fresh parsley leaves, fresh dill sprigs, shaved radish

Notes

** We want to break up as many grains as rice as possible, this will give us more starch to work with, which will act as a binder for our cakes.

Keyword curry, hollandaise, poached eggs, rice, smoked haddock

Kedgeree Fish Cake Eggs Benny