Make a Hearty Scottish Cullen Skink That's Guaranteed to Warm You Up (2024)

British Mains
Soups
Vegetable Recipes
Potato Recipes

Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 02/8/24

Tested by

Diana Rattray

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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, shin, or hough 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, and smoked haddock was found everywhere, meat stews transformed into fish-based soups, but the name skink stuck.

In this version of the famous recipe,mashed potatoes add thickness and creaminess, while in other versions, the potatoes are added in chunks. The best potatoes for our skink would be waxier types rather than those traditionally used for mash.

This Cullen skink recipe is also known as smoked haddock chowder in other parts of Britain, and both dishes are very similar. This recipe is also a gluten-free dish as the only thickener used are potatoes.

What You'll Need To Make This Cullen Skink Recipe

A Sharp Knife

A Large Saucepan

A Slotted Spatula

"The Cullen skink was amazing. Haddock is a fabulous flaky, mild, and tender fish, and the smokey notes of the finnan haddie (smoked haddock) give this soup its unique flavor. This is an incredibly easy dish that needs very little prep time. It was wonderful with a loaf of crusty artisan bread." —Diana Rattray

Make a Hearty Scottish Cullen Skink That's Guaranteed to Warm You Up (7)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup parsley sprigs, leaves and stalks separated, more leaves for garnish
1 bay leaf
1 pound smoked haddock fillet, preferably not dyed
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 ounces store-bought or homemade mashed potato, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups
See Also
Here's the REAL Difference Between Chowder and Soup
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crusty bread, for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Put the milk, parsley stalks, bay leaf, and the whole piece of haddockinto a large saucepan.
Finely chop the parsley leaves. Set aside.
Bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to low simmer, about 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Set aside for 5 minutes so the herbs and haddock infuse their flavors into the milk.
Remove the haddock from the milk with a slotted spatula. Set aside.
Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the herbs.
In another large saucepan over medium-low heat, add the butter and the onion. Cook gently until the butter melts and the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the onion.
Add the infused milk and the potato to the onion-butter mixture. Stir until the potatoes dissolve and the soup thickens slightly.
Flake the smoked haddock into bite-size chunks, discarding any bones. Add tothe soup.
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the chopped parsley and cook until the haddock is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Don't overstir, because the fish chunks might disintegrate.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Be careful with the salt, as the fish will impart quite a salty flavor all on its own.
Garnish the soup with the reserved parsley leaves and more freshly ground black pepper. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

For a Classic Presentation

Sometimes Cullen skink is served with additional ingredients to make a more filling dish:

Top with a poached egg to add creaminess and fat.
A few lightly poached quail's eggs dropped into the soup before serving adds a touch of sophistication.

Recipe Variations

For a richer, creamier Cullen skink, replace 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the milk with light or heavy cream.
The mashed potatoes thicken the soup, but you may also add 1 or 2 cups of diced cooked potatoes for texture if you wish.
Replace the onion with 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, finely chopped.
For more fish flavor, add a cube of fish bouillon.
A can of sweet corn added to the soup gives texture and provides a sweet flavor.

How to Properly Store and Reheat Cullen Skink

As with all fish and dairy-based dishes, proper storage is key to maintaining food safety

If you have leftovers and are planning to eat them shortly, store the soup in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to two days. Warm up on the stove over low heat. Do not save any leftovers from this serving.
For longer-term storage, place it in freezer bags and freeze the soup for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before heating up on the stove.
When reheating, do not boil the soup. With sudden changes in temperature, the fish's texture can be altered and go from flaky to rubbery in minutes.
If the reheated soup seems too thick, add milk and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Is finnan haddie the same as smoked haddock?

Yes, finnan haddie is smoked haddock. The name is thought to have originated in Findon, near Aberdeen in Scotland. "Haddie" is slang for haddock.

Classic Scottish Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
386	Calories
18g	Fat
20g	Carbs
35g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	386
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g	23%
Saturated Fat 10g	49%
Cholesterol 131mg	44%
Sodium 1366mg	59%
Total Carbohydrate 20g	7%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 15mg	75%
Calcium 268mg	21%
Iron 2mg	12%
Potassium 945mg	20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Potato
side dish
scottish
winter

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