Cullen Skink

Canon Rebel

Winter’s closing in and before you know it it will be New Year again. So while the days are short and the nights are cold you may as well learn how to make the best soup in the history of soups. Ladies and gentlemen I introduce to you… Cullen skink.

It’s basically smoked haddock chowder but I live in Scotland and it’s a northern Scottish dish and it’s a tasty treat.

You’ll need to buy some smoked haddock from the supermarket, you always hear chefs saying not to buy the dyed fish but it will do fine for this. You’ll need to buy a small pot of cream and a pack of parsley as well.  Make sure you have milk and potatoes at home (rooster potatoes are probably best as they’re really floury and fluffy not waxy) and either a small onion or shallot in the fridge. Put your fish in a saucepan, cover it with milk and gently heat for few minutes, it doesn’t need to boil because you only lightly cook the fish until it flakes apart. While you cook the fish you finely dice the shallot, cut the potatoes into big chunks and chop the parsley. When the haddock is cooked take it out of the milk and set it aside on a plate removing the skin. Add the shallot and potato to the milk (you might need to add a bit more) and gently simmer until the potatoes are almost cooked. Add the cream, haddock and parsley and heat through.

Serve with some crusty bread and butter (butter, not margerine!!)