 Cullen skink, served with bread | |
| Type | Soup |
|---|---|
| Course | Starter |
| Place of origin | Scotland |
| Region or state | Moray |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Smokedhaddock (finnan haddie),potatoes andonions |
Cullen skink is a thickScottishsoup typically made of at least smokedhaddock,potatoes, andonions.[1] An authentic Cullen skink will usefinnan haddie, but it may be prepared with any other undyedsmoked haddock. Sometimesocean perch orsalmon are used in the soup. It is often served as a starter at formal Scottish dinners but is also widely served as a common dish across Scotland, especially in the northeast.[2] Cullen skink appears in many traditional Scottish cookery books and restaurant and hotel menus throughout Scotland, the rest of the UK and abroad.[3]
This soup is a local speciality from the town ofCullen inMoray on the northeast coast of Scotland.[4][1] It is believed that it was created by local fisherman as a way to use their plentiful catches of haddock.[1]
Skink is aScots word for ashin, knuckle, or hough of beef, which has developed the secondary meaning of a soup, especially one made from these. The wordskink is ultimately derived from theMiddle Dutchschenke "shin, hough"[5] (cognate with the English wordshank and GermanSchenkel, 'thigh',[6] andSchinken, 'ham'[7]).
Local and other recipes for Cullen skink have several slight variations, such as the use of milk instead of water or the addition of singlecream and/or butter.[1][2][8] Other variations include mashing the potatoes to make the soup thicker.[citation needed] Cullen skink is traditionally served with bread or oatcakes crumbled through it for added texture.[9]
It has been described as "smokier and more assertive than Americanchowder, heartier than classical Frenchbisque".[10]
In 2012 aGuardian columnist described the dish as "the milky fish soup which has surely replaced your haggises and porridges as Scotland's signature dish".[11]
The Cullen Skink World Championships are an annual event involving cooking Cullen soup.[12][2][8] It is held in Cullen with two events timed at 30 minutes.[2][13] These are cooking traditional Cullen skink and cooking it with a variation.[2]
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