Cullen skink

Steven Doherty: Chef

Ingredients: serves 4 - 6

500 g smoked haddock fillet (ask your fishmonger to skin and bone the fillets)
125 g cabbage (quartered, washed and finely sliced)
125 g leek (split lenghtways, washed and finely sliced)
2 large potatoes (washed, peeled and each cut into 6 even pieces)
125 ml milk
1 litre water
2 tbsp onion (chopped finely)
salt
freshly ground pepper
parsley (to garnish)

Method:

Put the potatoes into a pan of cold water with a teaspoon of salt, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, add the cold water, milk and onion and bring to a simmer. Add the fish and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the fish with a slotted spoon onto a clean plate, cover with cling film and keep warm. Add the leeks and cabbage to the cooking liquid and cook for a further 7 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth.
Stir in enough mash to the leeks and cabbage mixture to thicken the broth. Season to taste - you may need to add a little pepper but probably no salt.

To serve:

Flake the haddock and stir into the broth OR put the haddock into a deep soup plate and pour the broth over it. Garnish with parsley.
To make it extra special top the "skink" with a soft-poached egg. If you want the skink to stick to your ribs just add more mashed potato.

Recipe tips:

Arbroath Smokies could also be used and for total luxury a little finely sliced smoked salmon could be stirred in at the last minute - it really does work!