Cullen Skink

Method

1. 01

   Poach the haddock in milk

   Put the 500 g haddock in a wide pan and pour over the 1 L milk. Bring just to a gentle simmer and poach for 6–8 minutes, until the fish flakes easily. Do not let the milk boil hard.

   

2. 02

   Reserve the milk and flake the fish

   Lift the fish out and pour the poaching milk through a fine sieve into a jug. When cool enough to handle, remove any skin and bones and flake the fish into large pieces; keep the flakes covered.

   

3. 03

   Sweat the onion

   Melt the 30 g butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the 200 g onion and 2 g salt and cook for 8 minutes until completely soft but without deep browning.

   

4. 04

   Cook the potatoes in the milk

   Add the 600 g potato and all the reserved milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15–18 minutes until the 2 cm potato cubes are completely tender.

   

5. 05

   Crush some potato for body

   Use a potato masher to crush about one third of the potatoes directly in the pan, leaving the rest in visible chunks. Stir well; the soup should thicken naturally without becoming a smooth purée.

   

6. 06

   Return the fish and finish gently

   Fold in the large haddock flakes and warm for 2–3 minutes without boiling hard. Taste before adding the remaining 4 g salt because smoked fish varies in salinity; add the 2 g pepper and scatter the 15 g chives over the bowls.