Cullen skink - or sometimes referred to as Cullen stink - is a fab soup originating from the village of Cullen, moray in Scotland. Done right, it's one of the most delightful soups you'll ever eat. Smoky, salty, creamy and just like all the cliches go, it's perfect for a cold winters day.

There's a bunch of different ways to make Cullen skink, but one thing they all have in common is smoked fish, which in Cullen they tend to use Finnan Haddie (cold smoked haddock) but everywhere else, it's just known as smoked haddock. I have on occasion added some Arbroath smokies to the mix, which adds a heavier smoked flavour, but it can be a bit fiddly looking out for the bones, and the flavour is very strong.

What you can do instead to make it a little extra special, is garnish the finished Cullen skink with some Arbroath smokies for extra show off points. This is a big old pot of soup, and will happily feed 4 adults with some bread no problem.

To make this creamy delicious Cullen skink soup you will need:

Serves 4

• 500g of undyed smoked haddock

• 400ml of milk

• About 500ml of water

• 150ml of double cream (heavy cream)

• 600g of peeled cubed potatoes (I used Maris piper)

• 2 medium leeks or 1 large

• 1 large white onion

• Few knobs of butter

• Small bunch of chopped parsley

• About 2 tsp of freshly chopped chives

• Salt & white pepper to taste

Method:

Sweat off the onion and leeks

1. Peel and dice the onion into rough chunks. Next take the leeks and cut through lengthways down the middle of them, turn them 90 degrees and do the same. This fans out the leaves making them easier to wash. Once rinsed under the tap, dice into chunks.

2. Next put a large pan or skillet on a medium low heat and add a good knob of butter. Once the butter is gently foaming, add the onion and leeks and saute off for about 10-15 minutes until nicely softened.

Add the spuds

1. Add your already peeled and cubed potatoes, and just enough water to cover everything, but you don’t want it swimming!

2. Let that come to a simmer and gently cook for around 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.

Cook the fish

1. Take a pan and add the milk, bay leaf and the fillets of undyed smoked haddock.

2. Then on a low to medium heat, gently poach the haddock for 5-7 minutes, just until it’s barely cooked through.

3. Once the fish is cooked, remove it from the pan and put on a plate. Discard the bay leaf but don’t throw away the milk!

Mash the potatoes

1. Using a potato masher, ladle or fork. gently mash about half of the potatoes, leek and onions in the pan. This will help thicken the soup but also leave some chunky bits in there for a bit of texture.

2. Next add the poaching milk from the fish into the potato onion and leeks, and a good amount of double cream (about 150ml).

Finish the soup

1. Lastly, gently flake chunks of the cooked haddock and add them to the soup. Season with salt and pepper if needed, and finally add in some freshly chopped parsley and chives.

Enjoy the Cullen skink with some nice crusty bread and a glass of your favourite grog!