CULLEN SKINK

Cullen skink, one of Scotland’s most famous dishes, is a hearty soup that is traditionally made with smoked haddock.

The name of this soup comes from Cullen, a small town in the northeast of Scotland. Skink is the Scottish term for a knuckle, or shin of beef, so most soups made of these parts were called skink.

When people in northern Scotland were unable to find scraps of beef due to economic strains, but had plenty of fish to cook with, smoked haddock was found everywhere, but the name skink stuck.

Delicious, hearty, and comfortingly creamy.

INGREDIENTS

50 g Butter
1 Onion Finely chopped
1.2 litres full fat Milk
750 g Floury potatoes Peeled and diced
450 g Undyed smoked haddock fillet
2 tablespoons Chopped parsley plus a little extra to garnish
Salt
Ground Black Pepper

METHOD

Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes until it is soft but not browned. Pour in the milk and bring to the boil,
then add the diced potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until they are really soft.

Add the smoked haddock and simmer for 3 – 4 minutes, until it is cooked and will flake easily.

Carefully lift the fish out onto a plate and leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, crush some of the cooked potatoes up against the side of the pan with the wooden spoon to thicken the soup a little.

When the smoked haddock is cool enough to handle, break the fish into flakes, discarding the skin and any bones.
Return fish to the pan and stir in the parsley and some seasoning to taste.

Serve garnished with a little more chopped parsley.

Original Recipe Rich Stein