Cullen Skink: Smoked Haddock Chowder Recipe and Story

Although I know Cullen Skink well, writing about it is unexpectedly difficult. I grew up only a few miles from Cullen, a small fishing village on Scotland’s northeast coast where this smoky, comforting fish soup is said to originate. I’ve eaten it my whole life and know how it should taste, but its exact history is elusive. So I’ll share my recipe first, then cover what I’ve been able to find about its origins.

Cullen Skink Recipe

I prefer a chunky version of Cullen Skink, leaving the fish and potatoes in discernible pieces rather than mashing them smooth. This is a rich, filling soup with a warm, smoky aroma.
Total time: 50 mins
Ingredients

• 2 lbs smoked haddock (or smoked tilapia if haddock isn’t available)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 pint (473 ml) full-fat milk
• 0.75 pint (354 ml) single cream
• 1 lb (450 g) potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• Handful of parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Place the fish in a pan, add the bay leaf and pour in enough milk to just cover the fish. Gently poach for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.

Remove the fish carefully and set aside. Strain and reserve the poaching liquor.

In a separate pan, melt the butter and gently sauté the onions until softened and translucent.

Add the cubed potatoes and pour the reserved poaching liquor back into the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.

Stir in the cream, then flake the poached fish into large pieces and add it along with the chopped parsley. Warm the soup gently for a couple of minutes, taking care not to break up the fish or mash the potatoes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The soup can be served immediately, but like many dishes with smoky fish and potatoes, its flavor often improves if left overnight and reheated the next day.

Origins and Name

Cullen Skink is essentially a creamy soup made from smoked haddock and potatoes. Tracing an exact origin is tricky. Finnan haddie — haddock smoked over green wood and peat — is common along Scotland’s northeast coast, so a fish-and-potato soup likely predates the specific name “Cullen Skink.”

The word “skink” is the most debated part of the name. In Scots, “skink” historically meant shin, deriving from Middle Dutch “schenke,” which is related to the English “shank.” That connection makes sense for meat-based broths but doesn’t directly explain a fish soup. Another theory links “skink” to a Middle High German term for a weak broth, liquor, or essence. Neither explanation is definitive.

There’s also speculation that recipes like Cullen Skink influenced New England chowders. The two dishes share similar ingredients and techniques, and smoked haddock variants have been popular in parts of northeastern America. Some have suggested French roots for chowder — for example, from “chaudière” meaning cooking pot — but the precise origins of New England chowder remain uncertain. The earliest known written reference to chowder appears in a 1732 diary entry by Benjamin Lynde, but documentation before then is sparse.

If you have reliable information or sources about the true origins of Cullen Skink or chowder, I’d welcome hearing them.