My mother, sister and I travelled slowly to the Isle of Skye from Glasgow as the autumn of 2016 drew to a close. It was the first time I had been to Scotland and I was glued to my window as we wound along the roads - staggering in their majestic beauty - stopping from time to time to pause and breathe, and to restore ourselves with a meal.
More often than not, it was a bowl of Cullen Skink that we opted for - a popular Scottish soup of smoked haddock poached in milk and served with soft potatoes. Simple but so delicious, it's really very hard not to lick the bowl or plead for more.
I'm a little obsessed with fresh herbs and salty things, so my version comes with dill and chicken stock, as well as a squeeze of lemon just before eating.
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INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
1tablespoon butter
1 medium onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
300ml water
250g smoked haddock
250ml milk
1 chicken stock cube
salt and pepper to taste
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METHOD
METHOD
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add onion and fry gently until transparent. Cook for about 5 minutes but do not allow to brown.
Add potatoes and water and bring to boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile in another pan, cover the haddock with the milk and cook gently for about five minutes until just tender. Remove from the milk and, when cool enough to touch, flake gently into large pieces, removing bones.
Add milk, stock, and flaked fish to saucepan containing potatoes and other ingredients and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon.
This recipe originally appeared on BBC Good Food.
