The Recipe · No.774 · Cullen Skink

Cullen Skink, and Where to Source It

Poach the smoked fish in the milk first so its smoky oils flavor the whole base, then mash a few of the potatoes right into the broth. That mashed potato is what gives the soup its heavy, rustic body without any cream.

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Published July 2026 · Sourcing verified 5 Jul 2026

Prep15 min
Cook20 min
Makes4 servings
CuisineBritish
Cook it with
Instant PotSlow cookerOne-pot
Can you make Cullen Skink in an air fryer? — Yes, with an insert

Not on its own — an air fryer can’t hold a pool of liquid. You can simmer it in an oven-safe dish or a silicone insert made to fit the basket, but the broth won’t reduce or brown the way it does on the stove, and that insert comes out scorching, so use oven mitts. For real depth, a pot on the stove wins.

Part One
The Ingredients — and where to get them
Smoked haddock
Undyed cold-smoked fillets for clean, real smoke. A proper smokehouse fish is worth it.
1 lb
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Potatoes
Some stay cubed, some get mashed into the broth to thicken it.
2 large
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Milk
The poaching liquid and the body of the soup. Whole milk is richest.
2 cups
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Onion
Sweated in butter as the base. Fresh, bought local.
1 large
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Butter
To sweat the onion and enrich the soup. A good butter helps.
2 tbsp
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One list, with a link to where to buy each one.
Part Two
The Method
  1. Poach the fishWarm the haddock in the milk a few minutes, then lift it out and flake it.
  2. Sweat the onionCook the onion in butter until soft, then pour in the smoky milk.
  3. Simmer potatoesAdd the cubed potato and simmer until tender.
  4. Thicken and finishMash some potato against the pot to thicken, stir the flaked fish back in, and serve.
Part Three
The Toolkit

Soup pot · Poaching pan · Wooden spoon

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