I WAS recently filming for the autumn series of a BBC programme called Castles in the Country and one of our locations was Floor's Castle which is situated in rolling hills over looking the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders .

The castle is the largest inhabited house in Scotland where the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe live with their family and it was for the Duke's desendants that it was built in 1721.

As we were doing some of the filming in the castle's kitchen gardens we were obviously hugely dependant on the weather, so every so often we had run into the terrace cafe overlooking the gardens as yet another monsoon shower soaked us.

While we took yet another break to dry out I decided to order the kedgeree for a late breakfast/brunch. I have only had kedgeree a couple of times before and while it has always been delicious, this one was spectacular as it contained wild rice, and haddock that was smoked at the castle.

Although most of us have to rely on buying our smoked haddock from a fishmonger or supermarket there are some really good examples around. Try and get hold of the undyed variety as this does not contain the artificial orange colourings that the dyed variety has. Usually it is necessary to cook it first, and it really benefits from being poached in a little milk as frying or sauteeing it tends to increase the salty flavour.

It goes really well with leeks and tomatoes and a bit of cream or creme fraiche. I love adding some poached smoked haddock into a soup, fish pie or stew, or even risotto, pasta, frittata, or some baked eggs. And with the dreadful weather we're having this summer, smoked haddock is perfect comfort food.

KEDGEREE

Serves 6-8

This is inspired by the delicious brunch I enjoyed at Floors Castle in the Terrace Cafe. This classic dish is great for entertaining, whether it is for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. And it is easy to double up the quantities to feed lots of people.

I love the addition of wild rice but you may use just white (or brown) rice if you prefer. There are quite a few different things to cook in this recipe, but then it is just a matter of assembling all the ingredients. I would serve this on its own, or with some mango chutney and a green salad.

150g wild rice 350g white or brown basmati rice 500g smoked haddock 7g butter 350ml milk Black pepper Four tbsp olive oil Two large onions, thinly sliced Two tsp cumin seeds Two tsp coriander seeds Half tsp cayenne pepper Half tsp garam masala 10 eggs 225g fresh or frozen peas 75-100ml cream Two tbsp chopped coriander (parsley will work too)

Place the wild rice in a saucepan of boiling water with a pinch or salt and cook over a medium heat for about 45 minutes until the rice is cooked but with a tiny bite still left.

Place the basmati rice in another saucepan and cook in the same way until cooked, white basmati rice will take about 10-12 minutes, and brown basmati rice will take about 25-30 minutes to cook.

Place the smoked haddock in a small saucepan with the butter, milk and a pinch of black pepper.

Cook over a low heat, just simmering all the time until the fish is cooked, about 10 minutes. When it is ready it will begin to fall apart in natural chunks .

Heat a large saute or frying pan on the heat and toast the cumin and coriander seeds for a few seconds until just a shade darker, remove the seeds and crush them.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil in the now empty pan and add the sliced onions, saute for a few minutes until golden at the edges, then add the crushed cumin and coriander seeds, along with the cayenne pepper and the garam masala. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook the onions until completely soft, about 12-15 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, bring a pot of water up to the boil. Gently drop in the eggs and boil for just six or seven minutes, depending on the size. When they are cooked, drain them and pour cold water over them to stop the cooking. Peel the eggs once they are almost cool.

Drop the peas into boiling water in a saucepan and boil for just a couple of minutes until cooked.

Now that everything is cooked you are ready to assemble the dish. Add the drained rice (wild, and basmati) and the peas to the onions in the frying pan over a low heat, and stir to mix.

Remove any skin and bones from the fish, then break up the flesh into chunks and add to the rice. Pour over enough cream to loosen the whole mixture slightly, carefully mix and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a wide shallow serving bowl or plate and place the quartered semi-hard boiled eggs on top and around the sides, then sprinkle with the chopped herbs, and serve.

SMOKED FISH PIE WITH HARD-BOILED EGGS
Serves 4-6

Fish pie is one of those wonderful oldfashioned recipes that will never cease to be a favourite.

350g skinned fish, such as ling, hake, cod, haddock or salmon 350g un-dyed smoked haddock, skin removed One small onion, peeled and quartered One bay leaf 450ml milk 1kg mashed potatoes Four eggs Two tbsp chopped fresh parsley For the white sauce 25g butter 25g plain flour Salt and freshly ground black pepper Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 50g Gruyere or Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4. Place the pieces of fish in a wide saute pan or frying pan, add the quartered onion and bay leaf and pour over the milk.

Bring the milk up to a light boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about eight minutes until the fish is just cooked.

Remove the fish from the milk and place on a plate.

Using a fork, flake the fish into nice chunky pieces, then spread out in an ovenproof dish, about 22cm square or smaller individual dishes. Pour the milk through a sieve into a jug and set aside.

To boil the eggs, bring a small pot of water to a gentle boil, then carefully lower the eggs in and boil for just eight minutes.

Drain and cool the eggs under cold water.

Peel the eggs, cut into chunks of about 2cm and place on top of the fish. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Next, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for one minute over a moderate heat.

Gradually add all the fish poaching milk, whisking all the time, and allow to simmer for one to two minutes, stirring, until you have a smooth, slightly thick sauce.

Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper and the grated nutmeg, and then pour over the fish and eggs in the dish.

Arrange the mashed potato over the top of the sauce, score with a fork and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top.

CHUNKY SMOKED HADDOCK CHOWDER

Serves six

This is such a good, comforting, warming soup, and it is really quite quick to make.

Feel free to replace some of the smoked haddock with unsmoked fish if you like, and mussels and prawns are good in this too. Of course, this can be reheated, but if you want the smoked haddock to stay in nice chunks, don't boil it too vigorously and don't stir it too much.

25g butter 100g sliced onion (one small onion) 225g sliced leeks (two smallish leeks) Salt and pepper 250g potatoes (three medium potatoes), cut into one-cm dice 400ml vegetable stock or light chicken stock 400ml milk 400g smoked haddock (one medium fillet), preferably un-dyed, cut into two-cm chunks 25ml cream . . . optional Two tbsp chopped parsley

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions and leeks, season with salt and pepper, and sweat over a gentle heat until soft but not coloured . . . about 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes, stock and milk; bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are just cooked. Add the smoked haddock and continue to simmer for two or three minutes until the fish is just cooked. Season again if necessary. Stir in the cream and chopped parsley, and serve.

BAKED EGGS WITH SMOKED HADDOCK
Serves 4

Six-eight tbsp cream Four eggs Salt and freshly ground pepper Four tbsp chopped smoked haddock A little milk One-two tbsp chopped parsley Four small ramekins 10g butter, for greasing

Lightly butter the four ramekins. Gently simmer the smoked haddock in milk, drain and place one tbsp in the bottom of each ramekin. Add the parsley to the cream and gently heat.

Spoon about one tablespoon of parsley cream into each ramekin and break an egg into each too. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spoon the remainder of the parsley cream over the top of the eggs.

Place the ramekins in a bain-marie of hot water, cover with tin foil or a lid and bring to simmering point on top of the stove. Continue to cook either gently on top of the stove, or in a moderate oven, 1800C, gas four, for about 12 minutes for a soft egg, 15 minutes for a medium egg and 18-20 minutes for a hard egg. Serve immediately.