Scottish Seafood Chowder – Cullen Skink my way…….with Smoked Whiting

Cullen Skink my way........with Smoked Whiting

– Scottish Seafood Chowder –

Cullen Skink my way…….with Smoked Whiting

Smoked Whiting by Robert Grant (rgrant_97)

Fish on Friday

This is my second fishy post of the day, a Fish in Friday double bonus. And, this wonderful soup has just been devoured for lunch along  with crusty baguette and butter. As part of the Fish Fanatics scheme, of which I am a member, we receive boxes of fish and seafood throughout the year to sample, cook with and to discuss, and my last box of fish was sent to me as usual via Fish is the Dish with some lovely Scottish fish from John at Delish Fish.  In the box was something very new to me, some smoked whiting fillets; whiting is a member of the cod family and has a similar flavour but is more economical and sustainable to buy than cod, and as I discovered, the smoked version also makes a great alternative to smoked haddock. On looking at the smoked whiting fillets, they looked very similar to smoked haddock, and with that in mind, I thought that I would try them out in a Scottish classic, a Cullen Skink, but cooked my way!

My Cullen Skink cooking.......

The smoked whiting worked a treat in this recipe; it does has a tendency to break up if cooked too long, so keep an eagle eye on it when initially poaching it in the milk. The flesh is very white and quite sweet when unsmoked, but when smoked, I couldn’t tell the difference between it and smoked haddock, which is brilliant for the purse strings, as smoked whiting is cheaper per kilo. John’s fillets came ready to cook and filleted, in handy sealed packets – you can see how handy the packets are by clicking on the link here: Smoked Whiting. As I was making a classic recipe with a new kind of fish, I also decided to walk on the wild side and substitute the usual parsley with some fresh chopped chives, as well as adding in a little bit of smoked salmon at the end, which added a richer flavour. I would challenge even the  most experienced of fish eaters to say that they could tell the difference between smoked haddock and whiting; the flake is slightly different, but that’s not that obvious when used in a soup, fish cakes or a pie.

I did it my way - Cullen Skink

This soup was wonderful…….thick and unctuous and the smoked flavours were subtle, and yet pronounced enough to make it special, as Cullen Skink is – it is probably my all time favourite soup, and is usually the first item I choose from the menu when I am at a good restaurant; the fact that it can made at home with a cheaper type of smoked fish is a real bonus, and it’s also very simple to make too. I hope you will try smoked whiting, and if you do, let me know what you think, as well as maybe having a go at making this soup, it would be a wonderful starter for a Good Friday supper or lunch.

North Atlantic Whiting

That’s all for my double fishy posts for today, see you tomorrow with a Random Recipe and then on Sunday with more CAKE and flowers! Have a wonderful weekend, Karen.

Cullen Skink with Smoked Whiting

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Serves	4 to 6
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	35 minutes
Allergy	Fish, Milk
Meal type	Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Soup
Misc	Serve Hot
Occasion	Casual Party, Formal Party
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

Cullen is a small town in North east of Scotland and the home of one of Scotland's most famous dishes, Cullen Skink. It is a hearty soup and traditionally made with Finnan haddock (smoked haddock), potatoes and onions. Cullen Skink recipe is also known as Smoked Haddock Chowder in other parts of Britain. In my recipe, I have used smoked whiting, which is cheaper than smoked haddock with wonderful results, and I also added some smoked salmon for a different twist.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (900g) smoked whiting fillets
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 pint (600ml) milk
• 1 lb (450g) potatoes, peeled and finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• chopped chives
• smoked salmon (about 50g, flaked into small pieces)
• salt and pepper, to season

Note

Cullen is a small town in North east of Scotland and home of one of Scotland's most famous dishes, Cullen Skink. This creamy and hearty soup is traditionally made with Finnan haddock (smoked haddock), potatoes and onions. Cullen Skink  is also known as Smoked Haddock Chowder in other parts of Britain. In my recipe, I have used smoked whiting, which is cheaper than smoked haddock, with wonderful results, and I also added some smoked salmon and some chopped chives for a different twist.

Directions

Step 1	In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the smoked whiting, bay leaf and milk. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. When the fish is done, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Remove the bay leaf at this stage too. Add the diced potatoes and onion to the milk and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
Step 2	Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender, in batches if needed, and blend until smooth and creamy, OR using a stick blender, blend the soup in the saucepan. Return the soup to the pan and flake the fish into the soup. Add the chopped chives.
Step 3	Heat through gently, do not boil. Just before serving, add the flaked smoked salmon and gently stir it into the soup. Serve immediately. Season with pepper and garnish with parsley or extra chopped chives to individual tastes.

Cullen Skink with Smoked Whiting

This is a non-Sponsored Post: I received this fish as part of a special programme to promote sustainable British seafood and fish; the programme is run by Fish is the Dish as part of the Fish Fanatics group, and the fish was supplied by Delish Fish as part of this scheme. This is a non-sponsored post and I was not paid to promote the fish mentioned on my blog in any shape or form. With thanks to the team at Fish is the Dish and to John at  Delish Fish for sending me this fish to try.