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Cullen Skink

This soup is a local speciality from the town of Cullen in Moray on the northeast coast of Scotland. It is often served as a starter at formal Scottish dinners.

Serves

2

Prep time

20 minutes

Cook time

20 minutes

This dish features in our ‘Secret dishes from around the UK’ 2025 recipe calendar!

Ingredients

2 smoked haddock fillets
50g unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled
and diced
400ml fish stock
200ml whole milk
2 bay leaves
50ml double cream
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Poach the smoked haddock fillets in the milk for 5 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
2. Remove the fish from the pan, discard the skin and any bones. Pass the milk through a sieve and set aside.
3. In a separate large pan, melt the butter and gently fry the onions until they are translucent.
4. Add in the diced potatoes, bay leaves and fish stock and bring to a simmer.
5. Cook for around 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
6. Add the milk, cream and the flaked smoked haddock to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow the soup to heat through completely but remove as soon as it begins to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve hot with fresh parsley sprinkled on top.

Chef’s tips

You can swap the potato chunks for mashed potato to make a creamier soup.

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