Cullen Skink

Ingredients

• 450g undyed smoked haddock fillet, skin on
• 600ml whole milk
• 300ml water
• 500g floury potatoes, cut into 2cm dice
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
• 40g butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 100ml single cream
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• Black pepper
• Salt if needed

Before you cook

• Check the haddock for pin bones and pull out any you find with tweezers.
• Peel and dice the potatoes into 2cm cubes.
• Finely chop the onion and slice the leek.

Steps

1. Lay the haddock skin side down in a wide pan and pour over the milk and water.
2. Add the bay leaf and bring the liquid to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.
3. Poach the fish for four to five minutes until it turns opaque and flakes when nudged.
4. Lift the haddock onto a plate and leave it to cool a little.
5. Strain the poaching liquid into a jug and set it aside.
6. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium-low heat and add the onion and leek with a pinch of salt.
7. Sweat the vegetables for eight minutes until soft and translucent without letting them colour.
8. Add the diced potatoes and pour in the reserved poaching liquid.
9. Simmer for fifteen minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.
10. Scoop out about a third of the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set them aside.
11. Blend the rest of the soup with a stick blender until smooth and velvety.
12. Return the reserved potato cubes to the pan.
13. Peel the skin off the haddock and flake the flesh into large pieces, discarding any bones.
14. Stir most of the fish into the soup along with the cream and warm it through for two minutes without boiling.
15. Taste and season with black pepper, adding salt only if the smoked fish has not already provided enough.
16. Ladle into warm bowls, top with the remaining flakes of haddock and scatter over the chives.