Cullen is a small town in North east of Scotland and the home of one of Scotland's most famous dishes, Cullen Skink which is a hearty soup and traditionally made with Finnan haddock (smoked haddock), potatoes and onions.
In this recipe mashed potatoes are stirred into the soup creating thickness and flavour, some recipes however will add in scrubbed, new potatoes or potato chunks.
Cullen Skink recipe is also known as Smoked Haddock Chowder in other parts of Britain as the recipe is very similar.
In this recipe mashed potatoes are stirred into the soup creating thickness and flavour, some recipes however will add in scrubbed, new potatoes or potato chunks.
Cullen Skink recipe is also known as Smoked Haddock Chowder in other parts of Britain as the recipe is very similar.
Watch How to Make Cullen Skink with Elaine Lemm
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ pints/700 ml milk
- ½ cup/ small handful flat leaf parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1lb /450g undyed, smoked haddock fillet
- ½ stick/55g butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 8oz/ 250g mashed potato, leftover or cooked fresh
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Serves 4
- Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Remove the leaves from the parsley and add the stalks to the milk. Finely chop the leaves and keep to one side. Add the bay leaf and the haddock to the milk.
- Bring the milk to a gentle boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave for 5 minutes for the herbs to infuse their flavour into the milk.
- Remove the haddock from the milk with a slotted spoon and put to one side. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and reserve the herb-infused milk.
- Heat the butter in another saucepan, add the onions and cook gently until translucent about 5 mins, taking care not to burn them.
- Add the milk to the onions, then add the potato and stir until totally incorporated into the milk and should be a thick, creamy consistency.
- Flake the smoked haddock into meaty chunks taking care to remove any bones you may find. Add to the soup.
- Add the chopped parsley leaves to the soup and bring to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 4 - 5 minutes. Do not over stir. If over stirred then you will break up the fish too much.
- Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed, be careful with the salt, the fish will impart quite a salty flavour all on its own.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.
Garnish the soup with more chopped parsley or a little extra pepper as is your taste. Sometimes Cullen Skink is served with a softly poached hen's egg on top for an even more filling soup or lightly poached quails eggs dropped into the soup before serving adds a touch of sophistication if you are serving the soup on a more formal occasion.
Occasionally, I also like to add a cup of cooked or warmed, canned sweetcorn before serving but this is not traditional for Cullen Skink, instead is more a Smoked Haddock Chowder just a personal preference.
