Cullen skink is a Scottish smoked-haddock soup with potatoes, onions and a creamy milk base. For a warming supper, start with Finnan haddie from Maine Lobster Now.
Recipe adapted by Maine Lobster Now from Stonington Seafood's Cullen Skink recipe, credited there to chef Kris Burrin. U.S. measurement choices and handling guidance are MLN additions; see the adaptation notes below.
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Which smoked haddock should you use?
Our Stonington Seafood Finnan haddie is cold-smoked haddock sold in a 12-ounce, skin-on portion. It arrives frozen and must be cooked before eating. Cold-smoking is not a cooking step, so do not treat it as ready-to-eat fish.
Shopping quantity: The recipe uses 16 ounces of fish. Two MLN 12-ounce packs contain 24 ounces; measure 16 ounces for the soup and handle the remainder according to the product's storage instructions. One 12-ounce pack is not a full pound.
Cullen Skink Recipe
Servings: 4 | Cuisine: Scottish | Course: Soup
Estimated prep: 15 minutes | Estimated cooking: 30 minutes | Estimated total: 45 minutes. Thawing is additional; allow more cooking time when needed for doneness.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (454 g) Finnan haddie, thawed
- 4 U.S. cups (946 ml) whole milk
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
- 85 ml heavy cream, approximately 1/3 U.S. cup plus 1 teaspoon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium onions: one halved, one diced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- Black pepper; salt after tasting
How to make it
- Infuse. Gently simmer the milk, halved onion and bay leaf for 5 minutes.
- Poach. Add the fish; cook gently to 145°F in its thickest part. Lift out, reserving the milk. Discard the bay and halved onion. Remove skin, check for bones and flake.
- Soften. Cook the diced onion in butter for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and reserved milk; simmer until fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Finish. Mash half the potatoes and return them. Fold in fish and cream; warm gently without boiling. Season and add parsley.
Adaptation and cooking notes
Measurements: This adaptation specifies four U.S. cups of milk and uses heavy cream instead of the source's double cream. The original lists two pints without identifying U.S. or Imperial measures; our milk quantity is an editorial choice, not a confirmed conversion of the author's intended amount. This adaptation has not been independently kitchen-tested by Maine Lobster Now.
Prepare before heating: Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces and have a thermometer, slotted spoon and heatproof jug ready. Check that the potatoes are tender throughout before mashing and finishing the soup.
Doneness matters more than the clock: Fish thickness and starting temperature affect cooking time. Use a thermometer rather than treating a short poaching time as a guarantee. The FDA's seafood guidance recommends 145°F for most seafood.
Thawing, storage and reheating
Follow the package directions. MLN's product guidance calls for puncturing or removing the vacuum packaging before refrigerated thawing, keeping the fish at 38°F or below, and cooking it within 24 hours once thawed. Keep raw fish and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat food.
Divide leftover soup into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or within one hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below and use within three to four days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F; USDA also advises bringing reheated soups to a rolling boil. The gentle-heating instruction in the recipe applies to finishing freshly cooked soup, not reheating stored leftovers. See USDA leftover-handling guidance.
Questions before you cook
Can I make it with one 12-ounce pack?
For a smaller batch, use 75% of the measured ingredients; 12 ounces is three-quarters of the listed fish weight. Do not shorten cooking times by 25%: potato tenderness and fish temperature still determine doneness. This smaller-batch suggestion is an MLN scaling calculation, not a separately tested recipe.
Does this recipe contain allergens?
It contains fish and milk. Check the labels on every ingredient and accompaniment for your dietary needs.
Where can I buy Finnan haddie?
Order Finnan haddie from Maine Lobster Now. For more background, read our guide to the Finnan haddie tradition.
