Cullen Skink (Scottish Fish Soup)

Absolutely nothing beats tucking into a hot, steaming bowl of Cullen Skink in Scotland with thick crusty bread covered in butter. Heroing finnan haddie (undyed smoked haddock) in a fish broth made with milk, potatoes and onion, this Scottish Fish Soup will live rent free in your head long after you've finished it.

A popular menu item across the Scottish East Coast and beyond, Cullen Skink has been feeding fisherman and normal-folk-alike for generations!

Jump to:

• Origins of Cullen Skink
• Why I Love Cullen Skink So Much
• Ingredients for Cullen Skink (Scottish Fish Soup)
• How To Make Cullen Skink (Method)
• Soup Storage and Reheating
• Other Scottish Recipes
• Cullen Skink (Scottish Fish Soup)

I can't claim to have any ties to the sea, but I've perfected this recipe based on traditional methods. But maybe most importantly of all; having tasted and sampled my own way across Scotland eating it.

I went slightly viral with this video of 'Cullen Skink' in 2023 on Instagram. If you have a spare half hour, then you can entertain yourself by reading through the comments. I enraged the folk of Scotland by daring to add some salmon and other aromats to my 'Cullen Skink' recipe.

"Looks very nice but it isn't Cullen Skink, the recipe for Cullen Skink is different. I'm from that area."

"Looks amazing. But it’s not Cullen Skink. Like lots of others we live a few miles from Cullen and this is affy posh for true Cullen skink. But I have to say I looks affy tasty soup"

"Cullen skink does not have salmon in it. I live 3 miles from Cullen and have ate the s*** since ive been a young boy this recipe is absolute nonsense"

(and these are some of the nice ones...)

So this recipe is the simplified, true to its origins Cullen Skink recipe. I hope it satisfies those of you who got just a tad worked up over the original post.

Regardless whether you add some salmon for a touch of extra protein, it's a tasty, moreish and utterly delicious soup. Made even better when you dunk thickly butter slices of bread into it, so get dipping!

Origins of Cullen Skink

The fist mentions of the, now-famous, Scottish fish soup was in the early 1800's. The word 'Skink' in Old Scots was traditionally usually used to describe a broth made with beef bones and scraps. But unlike the rolling hills of Ayrshire or Galloway, or even the Central Belt of Scotland, the seaside North East Coast was plentiful in fish, not cows.

You'll see many recipes mention Finnan Haddie as the main ingredient. It is the same as undyed smoked haddock. Findon (or Finnan) was the fishing village eight miles south of Aberdeen, which is famous for originating the smoked haddock now named as Finnan haddie. Much like Champagne has to come from the Champagne region in France.

The story goes that in Cullen (near Moray in Aberdeenshire in the North East of Scotland) smoked haddock was in plentiful supply. So this led to the soup's modern iteration; which they named Cullen Skink. And it's transformed into one of the most well known dishes of Scotland.

The simple version of it consists of:

• Smoked Haddock (undyed i.e. not yellow) - also known as Finnan Haddie
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Milk
• Salt and Pepper

Everything else is a bonus (extra flavour). But be careful who you upset if you dare to add anything extra...

Why I Love Cullen Skink So Much

I've grown up visiting Stonehaven, which is a small fishing village south of Aberdeen, every single year since I was born.

I've always loved seafood - my Mum has a video of me at 3 years old coughing without putting my hand over my cough to which she says "mind your manners, or you won't get any prawns" (speaking about Prawn Cocktail for Christmas Dinner).

I then proceeded to purposefully cough again, whilst demonstrated my hand over my mouth. Don't come between me and my fish.

So it should come as no surprise that any opportunity I get to order Cullen Skink from a menu at a restaurant, I grab it! Which has meant I've tried a LOT of Cullen Skinks over the years. The good, the bad and the ugly! So I've created this recipe that has stayed true to the original, whilst ensuring it delivers on flavour!

Ingredients for Cullen Skink (Scottish Fish Soup)

• Butter: I use Salted Butter 'cause it seasons the soup from the start
• Leek / Onion - use either/or dependant on dietary needs/preferences
• Potatoes: any variety will be suitable, as we're essentially using them to add some bulk to the soup consistency (both with the mashed potato and the cubes)
• Milk: using whole milk (full fat) is quite important as this adds quite a bit to the flavour. If necessary however, you could substitute for semi-skimmed (half fat) milk
• Stock: I use chicken stock. The traditional recipe wouldn't use any stock at all. It would simply have been the smoked haddock infused milk. So opt for either no stock cubes, or vegetable, chicken or fish
• Smoked Haddock: I source my smoked haddock fillets from Bernard Corrigan - they deliver locally to central belt in Scotland and code 'laurenscravings' will get you 20% off
• Fresh Chives: not essential, but provides a light, fresh lift of both flavour and colour at the end
• Salt

How To Make Cullen Skink (Method)

Prepare vegetables (by chopping) and peel and chop potatoes.

Once peeled, weigh out 150g of potatoes, chop into quarters and boil in salted water until soft. Chop the remaining potato into 1cm (½) cubes.

Melt butter in a large pan. Add leek and onion to pan, cook until softened (approx 10-15 minutes).

Once potatoes that you've been boiling are soft, mash or rice these and they’ll be added to the soup at the end to thicken it slightly. Then add prepared cubed potatoes to cooked onion and leek.

Once the vegetables have softened, add the milk and chicken stock.

Increase the heat until you achieve a near bubble (not boiling), then reduce to a medium heat and cook for approx 20 minutes

Add smoked fish to pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes until cooked and you can break it up into chunks with your spoon.

Mix through mash/riced potatoes, add salt and finely the chopped chives.

Serve with buttered bread and enjoy!

Soup Storage and Reheating

Cullen Skink can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.

I wouldn't recommend freezing the soup, as it's made up in large part by milk. So the consistency would change after defrosting.

Reheating: either pour Cullen Skink in a pot on the hob (stovetop) and heat through gently until piping hot or microwave.