Traditional Cullen Skink

Made with poached smoked haddock, potatoes and onions, this traditional Cullen skink is a creamy, thick, savory soup, the perfect bowl of warming goodness.

Last Autumn, on a chilly rainy day, my husband and I decided to stop in at an island pub for some lunch. Their soup of the day was Cullen skink, a fish soup I had enjoyed many years back on a visit to Scotland. That original bowl was creamy and thick with potato bits and smoky haddock. Truly delicious! One of my fondest memories. 

The bowl at the pub was not that. In short, it was a big disappointment. Very thin broth, hardly any smoked fish flavor and a real shortage of potatoes and actual fish too. If you’ve been reading along here for a while, you know that meant I had to make Cullen skink to remind myself of the better first memory. 

Curious about the name? According to the interwebs: “Cullen Skink gets its name from the town of Cullen in Moray, Scotland, where it originated, and the Scots word "skink," which refers to a shin or knuckle of beef, and by extension, a thick soup. Originally a beef broth, it evolved into a smoked haddock soup in the late 19th century when fish became a more accessible, local, and affordable staple than meat for the town’s fishing community.”

Traditional Cullen Skink

Use naturally smoked haddock for this recipe, if possible. Unlike the artificially yellow dyed fish, the naturally smoked haddock has a subtle light beige color, derived solely from the wood smoke. This recipe is adapted from one on the BBC Good Food website, now just called Good Food. Serves 3-4.

Ingredients

7 oz or 200g smoked haddock

1 1/2 cups or 360ml milk

1 medium onion

14 oz or 400g new potatoes 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups or 295ml fish stock

Fine sea salt and white pepper

To garnish: finely chopped parsley or chives

Method

Put the haddock skin side down in a small pan and cover with the milk. 

Cook gently for 5 mins, or until just tender. Turn the haddock over and set the pan aside, leaving the haddock and milk to cool for about 10 minutes. 

Remove the haddock from the milk with a slotted spoon (reserving the milk), transfer to a plate. 

When cool enough to handle safely, flake into large pieces, removing and discarding any bones and skin.

While the haddock cooks and cools, peel and chop the onion finely. 

Scrub the new potatoes. Halve or quarter big ones but leave small ones whole. 

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the chopped onion and sauté for 8-10 mins until translucent but not browned. 

Add the potatoes and fish stock and bring to the boil. 

Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 10-15 mins or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife. 

Use a fork or a potato masher to mash half of the potatoes to help thicken the soup.

Whisk the cornstarch into the cooled haddock milk then add it to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the soup thickens slightly.

Add the flaked haddock to the pan and cook until just heated through. 

Season to taste with the salt and white pepper. 

Spoon into warmed bowls and sprinkle over the chopped herbs to serve.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 3rd edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter C. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the C recipes below:

• Chai Spice Mix from Blogghetti
• Chicken Thigh Schnitzel + Chenin Blanc from Culinary Cam
• Chocolate Chip Crescent Roll Cookies from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Chora Nu Shaak, Gujarati Style from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Coconut Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Colorful Peppers Pulao from Sneha’s Recipe
• Corn Sauté with Pancetta, Potatoes, and Peppers from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Cranberry Pistachio Pull-apart Rolls from A Messy Kitchen
• Dill Pickle & Mustard Seed Cream Cheese Spread from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Traditional Cullen Skink from Food Lust People Love
• White Chicken Chili from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

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Smoked Herring Spread

This smoked herring spread is lovely on crackers but I’ve also been known to pile it on a piece of soft bread, fold it in half and call it a sandwich. Its strong flavors stand up well to whatever you want to spread it on or dip into it. (Like carrots, celery or cucumber!)

In the UK, they call smoked herring kippers. They are a beloved breakfast item, either on their own with eggs or in kedgeree, a rice dish of Indian origin. 

Just last summer we were in London staying at a friend’s club and kippers were on the breakfast menu. I did not partake but another table ordered some. How did I know what another table well across the dining room ordered? Because the fishy smell traveled!

As we finished our breakfast and left the room, we passed by those very diners who were tucking in to their kippers, eggs and hot buttered toast. Big smiles all round! These were clearly quality smoked kippers and not from a tin. You are either a fan of fish or you are not. I am one!

Here in the States, we consider ourselves lucky to get the tinned ones at a nearby gourmet store.  Why they are called "snacks" is beyond me. 

Smoked Herring Spread

For the hot sauce, we like Louisiana Hot Sauce, the habanero version, but truly your favorite will work. I put just a few drops because I wanted to share this with my mother-in-law and she can’t handle pepper heat. Just for us, I’d have used more so you do you. The smoked herring flavor can absolutely stand up to more spicy heat. 

Ingredients

3.54 oz or 100g can smoked herring aka kippers

1-2 green onions

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons (42g) cream cheese, softened

Zest of half a lemon

freshly ground black pepper

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Lemon juice to taste

Optional but recommended: Several drops hot sauce or to taste

Method

Chop the green onions finely. Set aside a little of the green part for garnish. 

Drain the smoked herring and flake with a fork in a mixing bowl. 

Add in the chopped green onion, mayonnaise and cream cheese, mixing well. 

Add a couple of grinds of black, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Stir well to combine.

Add hot sauce, if desired.  

Spoon the spread into a ramekin or small bowl. Top with reserved green onions. 

Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least four hours or if you have the time, overnight. 

Serve with crackers or crudités. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 8th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2025, brought to you by the letter H. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the H recipes below:

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Asian Beef Bowls 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Baked Homemade Buttery Herb Croutons
• Blogghetti: Copycat Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning 
• A Messy Kitchen: Dutch Hagelslag 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Grilled Halloumi Salad 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Homemade Mango Frooti 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Honey Mustard Breaded Chicken 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Hurricane Popcorn 
• Food Lust People Love: Smoked Herring Spread 

Here are my posts for the 2025 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Roasted Asparagus Soup

B: Blistered Sugar Snap Peas

C. Jersey Royal Chicken Chorizo Traybake 

D. Small Batch Dried Apricot Jam 

E. Whipped Espresso Cream 

F. Fish Sauce Roasted Chicken 

G. Extra Herby Gremolata 

H. Smoked Herring Spread – this post!

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Pan-fried Cod with Colcannon Sauce

This pan-fried cod with colcannon sauce is the perfect meal to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The creamy sauce is super rich, perfect with the tender cod.

I came across a version of this recipe on the (formerly BBC) Good Food website while searching for Irish recipes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. They were serving the colcannon sauce with steamed back bacon cut in thick steaks, something I cannot get here in Houston.

But that sauce immediately struck me as something that would be delightful spooned over cooked cod which is a rather bland white fish and could use a little bump in flavor. It was a great decision! 

Pan-fried Cod with Colcannon Sauce

Ideally, use the darker green outer leaves of the cabbage for color and contrast. Sadly, mine were rather pale. This is going to make more sauce than you need for the four servings of cod. Leftovers can be warmed gently over a low heat. 

Ingredients

For the colcannon sauce:

1/4 cup or 56g butter

3-4 cabbages leaves (mine weighed 4 oz or 115g whole)

2-3 green onions, plus extra for garnish

1 potato (my russet weighed 8.5 oz or 240g after peeling)

1/3 cup or 80ml white wine

1 cup or 240ml heavy cream

Fine sea salt

Ground white pepper

For the cod:

1 lb or 450g cod loin 

Fine sea salt

Ground white pepper

1 tablespoon butter

Optional for garnish:

Crispy bacon bits

Method

Cut the hard spines out of your cabbage leaves then roll them up tightly. With a sharp knife, slice them as thinly as possible. Then cut the spirals a couple of times across to shorten the strands. 

Peel and dice your potato. Slice the green onions.

Season the cod with the sea salt and white pepper and cut it into four reasonably even pieces. Set aside.

Melt half the butter in a pan and add the cabbage, potato and green onions. 

Cook over a medium low heat for 10 mins, covered, stirring often.

Pour in the white wine and cook till the white wine has all but evaporated and the potatoes start breaking down. 

You can speed this process along with a potato masher or fork. 

Add the cream and cook for just a few minutes until it is warmed through and starts to thicken. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper then remove from the heat. 

Stir the rest of the butter into the sauce and keep it warm until ready to serve.

To cook the cod, heat the butter in the pan until it just about starts browning, then put the cod in. 

Cook on one side until browned, then turn gently and cook the other side. Depending on the thickness of your cod, this could take from just a couple of minutes to as many as seven minutes. 

As you can see, one of my pieces from the end of the loin was much thinner than the others. I took it out first then left the rest until just cooked through. If you have an instant read thermometer, you are looking for an internal temperature of 145°F or 63°C.

Plate up the cod with a generous helping of colcannon sauce on top then garnish with green onions and some crispy bacon bits, if desired.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Culinary Cam. Check out the links below. 

• Colcannon, Ham Soup With Dumplings by Sneha's Recipe
• Easy Pretzel Ring with Beer Cheese Dip by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Irish Beef Guinness Stew by Culinary Cam
• Pan-fried Cod with Colcannon Sauce by Food Lust People Love
• St. Patrick’s Day Brownie Bites Amy's Cooking Adventures

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Spicy Honey Baked Steelhead Trout

This spicy honey baked steelhead trout is topped with mustard, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil and, of course, honey, before baking in foil for a delightful, easy dish everyone will love, especially the clean up crew. 

Occasionally I have a specific recipe in mind when I go to the grocery store but most often, I just let what is fresh and/or a good deal determine what goes in the shopping cart. 

In the case of this dish, I was actually hoping for decent salmon but the specimens on display were sad and old looking. Fortunately, the steelhead trout was not only bright and fresh looking; it was also a better price!

The flavors of the toppings complement the tender fish so nicely and since we are baking in foil, clean up could not be easier. I removed the fillets from the foil for photos but feel free to serve these just as they bake, allowing each person to carefully open a foil packet. Let the steam out first, then enjoy!

Spicy Honey Baked Steelhead Trout

Use farmed salmon or steelhead trout, whichever is available to you. You can also use wild salmon but keep in mind that it’s a much leaner fish and so it is easily overcooked. Adjust the baking time down accordingly. This recipe is easily scaled up or down to feed one or a crowd. 

Ingredients 

Steelhead trout fillets (each about 6 oz or 170g)

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For each foil packet:

1/2 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or sambal

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

Optional to garnish: 

chopped parsley

Method

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and cut large rectangles of foil for each fillet.

Rinse the fillets with water and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer each fillet to a sheet of the foil. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spread the fillets with the whole grain mustard and the chili garlic sauce or sambal. Drizzle them each with the honey, vinegar and sesame oil. 

Crimp and fold the foil lightly around the fillets and place the packets on a baking pan.  

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish). The internal temperature of cooked fish is ideally 145°F or 62.8°C.

Carefully open the foil packets so you don’t get burnt by the steam.

Garnish with parsley and serve immediately hot or cool the fillets and serve at room temperature. 

This lovely fish goes well with just about any vegetable or starch but we love it with green salad, dressed lightly with a complementary vinaigrette made with whole grain mustard, cider vinegar and a bit of honey. 

Enjoy! 

It’s time for my Fish Friday Foodie friends to share seafood recipes. This month our theme is “seafood foil packets.” Many thanks to our host Sue of Palatable Pastime. Check out all the links below.

• Palatable Pastime: Grilled Shrimp Boil (in foil packets)
• Food Lust People Love: Spicy Honey Baked Steelhead Trout
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Alaskan Rockfish Packages
• Sneha’s Recipe: Air Fryer Parceled Fish With Green Tahini Chutney
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Fish Foil Packets with Cod, Chipotles, Black Beans, and Corn

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

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