Cooking Around the Calendar

Cullen Skink, made with Finnan Haddie

Scotland; the land of my foremothers, and the home of my heart. Also home to some truly delicious food.

If you have never been to the U.K. you might believe the old stories that say British food is over cooked and under seasoned. Based upon my several visits to Britain, Scotland and a single very cold morning at the airport in Dublin, I found the food to be superb. They put an emphasis on local and seasonal foods. Dinner at a local pub is often a fine star dining experience in a casual setting.

This hearty Scottish chowder is one of my mother’s favorite soups; one that isn’t exactly easy to find here in the new world. With a little trial and error, I came up with a perfect pot of hearty creamy soup that Mum and I just love. I recently took this soup to a Scots themed potluck and it was a huge hit. In fact, I met a woman there who was from the old country; she said it tasted so authentic, it was just like home. Higher praise I could not ask for.

The name itself refers to the town of Cullen where the soup originated. The term skink is a Scots word for a shin, shank or knuckle of beef. There is no beef in the Cullen Skink, but the term can also refer to a thick and hearty soup.

The main ingredient, Finnan Haddie, is simply a lightly smoked haddock. I smoke my own with a kitchen smoker gun, but you can also mail order this ingredient.

Cullen Skink

A hearty creamy chowder featuring smoked haddock

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion finely diced
• 1 leek finely diced and cleaned
• 2 large gold or red potatoes peeled and cubed
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound Finnan Haddie (smoked haddock)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• finely mince chives for garnish
• toasted sourdough bread for serving

Method

 

1. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add butter, onion and leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Add milk, potatoes and bay leaf to the saucepan. Turn heat to medium low and bring milk to a low simmer.  Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent milk from scorching.
3. Discard bay leaf and, use a potato masher to break up the potatoes. You want a combination of larger and smaller potato pieces, so the sauce is thickened but there are still some chunks of potato in the soup.
4. Add the smoked haddock, and cook until just starting to flake, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Serve hot, topped with minced chives and toasted sourdough bread for dipping.

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