Cullen Skink

Place the smoked haddock fillets in a wide pot, pour in the milk and water, and add the bay leaf and black peppercorns. Heat gently until the surface just begins to tremble, without letting it boil, for 6–8 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Remove the fish, let it cool slightly, remove the skin, take out any bones and break the fillets into large chunks. Strain the milk to keep it as the soup base, and discard the bay leaf and peppercorns.

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the finely chopped onion and thinly sliced leek, season with salt and sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, without letting them brown.

Add the potatoes, cut into roughly 2 cm cubes, stir with the vegetables and pour in the strained milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15–18 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender.

Remove about half of the potato chunks, mash them until smooth and return them to the pot so the soup thickens naturally, while the rest of the potatoes keep their texture.

Gently return the haddock chunks to the soup, pour in the cream and warm through over low heat for 2–3 minutes, without boiling. Taste and add salt and ground black pepper as needed.

Ladle the cullen skink into warmed bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.