Luxury Cullen Skink Food

CULLEN SKINK

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion and fry for 5-8 mins until translucent but not browned. Add the potatoes and 300ml water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 10-15 mins.
• Meanwhile, put the haddock in another pan and cover with the the milk. Cook gently for 5 mins, or until just tender. Remove the haddock from the milk with a slotted spoon (reserving the milk), transfer to a plate and leave to cool slightly. When cool enough to touch, flake into large pieces, removing any bones.
• Put the reserved milk and flaked haddock in the pan with the potato mixture and cook for another 5 mins. Season and sprinkle over the parsley to serve.

LUXURY CULLEN SKINK

Steps:

• Cut one onion in half, and stick 2 cloves in each half.
• Into a pan put the milk, the halved onions, and the bayleaves and thyme.
• Boil the milk then simmer for 5 minutes, to impart the flavour of the herbs and onion into the milk.
• Add the fish and poach for 5 minutes.
• Remove the fish, flake it and ensure there are no bones in it and set aside.
• Strain the milk, keeping it to use as the basis for the soup.
• Fry the chopped onion and potato in a knob of butter until the onion is transparent, but not brown. Add the milk and simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon the soup into a blender or use a stick blender, but only give it a light whizz, as you need to keep some of the texture of the potatoes in the soup.
• Add the fish, and the chopped fresh parsley and simmer for a further 2 or 3 minutes.
• Before serving, add the fresh double cream taking care not to boil the soup once this has been added.
• Serve with warm crusty bread and stand back and wait for the applause!

CULLEN SKINK - (FINNAN HADDOCK AND POTATO SOUP)

Steps:

• Put the potatoes and onion in a large pot with the water and cook until the potatoes are almost soft.
• Place the Finnan haddock on top of the potatoes and onions and cook, covered, for a further 5 minutes until the fish is just cooked.
• Remove the fish, skin, bone and flake the flesh.
• Partially mash the potatoes and onions in the cooking liquor (some prefer a"lumpy" soup, while others like a smoother base).
• Return the flaked fish to the pot, mix thoroughly and add enough milk to create the desired consistency, either a thickish stew-soup or a thinner soup.
• Season the Cullen Skink to taste and serve with hearty bread.

TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH CULLEN SKINK

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Put the milk, parsley stalks, bay leaf, and the whole piece of haddock into 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 to the 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.

CULLEN SKINK

Steps:

• Soften the onion and garlic in the butter for 10 minutes.
• Add the milk and bring slowly to the boil before adding the potatoes.
• Simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
• Add the haddock and poach for 5 minutes.
• Remove the haddock and when cool enough to handle flake the fish removing any bones and skin as you do.
• Bring the soup up to heat again, add the parsley, salt and pepper and haddock. Serve with a sprig of parsley.

CULLEN SKINK - SCOTTISH SMOKED HADDOCK AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Cover the smoked haddock with water, in a shallow pan, skin side down. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4/5 minutes, turning once.
• Take the haddock from the pan and remove the skin and bones.
• Break up the fish into flakes, return to the stock and add the chopped onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
• Simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain, remove the bay leaf but retain the stock and fish.
• Add the milk to the fish stock and bring back to the boil.
• Add enough mashed potato to create the consistency you prefer (don't be afraid to make it rich and thick!).
• Add the fish and reheat.
• Check for seasoning.
• Just before serving, add the butter in small pieces so that it runs through the soup.
• Serve with chopped parsley on top, accompanied by triangles of toast.