Cullen skink
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Cullen skink
One of Scotland’s best-loved dishes, cullen skink is a rich, creamy fish soup made from smoked haddock, potatoes, onions and milk
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
432Kcal
Fat
15gr
Saturates
9gr
Carbs
39gr
Sugars
11gr
Fibre
6gr
Protein
33gr
Salt
1.6gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Ingredients
- 480g smoked haddock fillets
- 2 bay leaves
- 40g butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large leek, finely sliced
- 600g waxy potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunky cubes
- 600ml whole milk
- handful of chives, finely chopped
Step by step
To store
Best served freshly cooked, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days (not suitable for freezing). Reheat gently until piping hot.
- Put the haddock fillets, skin-side down, in a large shallow pan so they are comfortably sitting in the pan without overlapping too much. Add 350ml water and the bay leaves then gently bring to the boil. As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large soup pan or stock pot and then gently sweat the onions and leek, covered, for 6-8 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Add the potatoes and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring.
- Lift the fish out to a plate then strain the poaching liquid into the soup pan and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Remove the skin from the fish and flake into chunky pieces. With a slotted spoon, remove half of the potatoes and leeks from the soup and set aside in a bowl. Add the milk to the pan, along with around one-third of the flaked haddock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and blitz with an hand-held blender until smooth. Season to taste and then add the reserved potatoes, haddock and chives. Heat through gently for about 5 minutes before serving.
