The days are getting longer, hens are laying again, and suddenly getting up and preparing a special breakfast on a weekend doesn’t feel like an effort, more a pleasure. There’s something very satisfying about a savoury breakfast, but of course these little bowls of goodness would be equally suited to the lunch or dinner table.

MAKES FOUR BOWLS
300g undyed smoked haddock
570ml full-fat whole milk
60g butter
1 onion, finely diced
2 tsp light curry powder, plus extra
to garnish
60g plain flour
200g basmati rice*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 eggs, softly boiled for 7 mins, peeled
Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

1 Gently poach the haddock in the milk for 8 mins. Remove the haddock, reserving the milk. Cover and set aside.
2 Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and curry powder and cook gently with a little salt until the onion is soft.
3 Add the flour and cook briefly to form a roux. With the pan off the heat, add one ladleful of the warm poaching milk to the roux, stirring constantly. Return the pan to a gentle heat and continue to add the milk gradually, stirring all the time. Once the milk has been incorporated, leave to simmer for 5 mins.
4 Meanwhile, cook the rice in a steamer or in boiling water, then drain. Season to taste. 5 To serve, spoon the rice into four bowls. Halve the boiled eggs and place each half in a bowl. Spoon the sauce and flaked smoked haddock into the centre and garnish with chopped coriander and a sprinkling of curry powder.

Recipe from Spoon by Annie Morris and Jonny Shimmin (Hardie Grant).