Smoked Haddock Takikomi

Serves 4

Cooking time: 1.5 hours

This is one of those dishes that, the first time you do it, you really have no idea what’s going to happen. Kind of a bit like a Japanese kedgeree, it’s rich and luxurious, sophisticated and classy, the gentle flavours and texture of the rice melding beautifully with the just cooked smoked fish. It is worth making double so that you can have it for lunch the following day. It doesn't freeze.


400 ml vegetable stock or nage

1 tbspn red miso paste

1 x 150g smoked haddock fillet, skin on, cut in half

6g small dried shitake mushrooms (or larger ones chopped up)

3 tbspns dark soy sauce

1 tbspn sake

1 tbspn mirin

2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned

200g mixed Japanese mushrooms (eg. shitake, oyster, chicken legs) cut into bite sized pieces

250g sushi rice

150g green beans, trimmed and halved (some baby broccoli works very well here too)

1/2 tspn truffle oil


  • Wash the rice well in cold water until the water runs clear and soak for 30 minutes

  • Meanwhile, bring 100ml of the vegetable stock to the boil in a medium sized saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Add the haddock fillets. Bring back to just before boiling, then set aside and leave until cool enough to handle the fish (about 10 minutes). Gently lift the fish from the pan (keeping the stock in the pan) then skin, pick through for bones and flake it. Set aside

  • To the fishy stock, add the dried mushrooms and leave to soak for 15 minutes until soft. Add the soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and half the carrots. Bring to the boil, then add the fresh mushrooms. Turn down the heat. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by ¾ - about 10-15 minutes. Take care not to let it burn, stirring regularly when the liquid is low in the pan. Allow to cool

  • Drain the rice, then add to the soy/mirin mushroom reduction, along with the remaining 300ml of stock and the miso paste. Stir well, then cover with the lid and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiling, turn the heat right down and cook for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Take off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes. When you take the lid off, you'll see that all the liquid is gone. Check the rice for texture - you may need to gently reheat if not cooked enough

  • Meanwhile, steam the beans and the remaining carrot batons for 3-5 minute. Set aside

  • To serve, place the rice in four deep bowls, gently stir in the fish, trying not to break it up too much and top with the beans and carrots