Baxters Cullen Skink

...the other way round. Baxters is the sort of producer I like.

Open the can and the smell that meets you is not so much of fish as of the sea. You should always beware of fish that smells fishy – it's not good news! It's a creamy soup, but it isn't smooth. You'll see some quite substantial flakes of smoked haddock in there as well as pieces of potato. Traditionally it's the potato which thickens this soup. The colour is predominantly ...
...of Cullen Skink soup over the fish and mix. Cover with mashed potato or puff pastry and bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.

I'm sure that Baxters won't mind if you don't explain where the delicious sauce came from!

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When Rick Stein published his recipe for Cullen Skink in "Fruits of the Sea" he considered renaming it "Smoked Finnan Haddock Soup with Potatoes, Onion and Parsley" on the grounds that "Cullen Skink sounds like something you wouldn't want to give to your pet Jack Russell." I'm glad he decided not to tamper with tradition though, because his recipe for the soup is the best that I've found.

Where does the name come from then? Well, "skink" comes from the Gaelic and means "essence". Originally it referred to a soup made from shin of beef, but in this case the soup is made with smoked haddock. Cullen is, of course, the port on the north coast of Scotland. If you're going to make the soup you'll need onions, cloves, milk, a bay leaf, some smoked haddock, butter, potatoes, cream and parsley. Oh, you'll want to have at least half an hour to spare too.

Now, I don't want to put you off doing this if you really want to, but there is an easier way. Go and buy a can of Baxter's Cullen Skink Soup. It's part of their range of Luxury Soups (they're the ones with the predominantly black label) and at £1.99 for a can of soup it certainly has a luxury price. It might seem a lot of money for a can of soup but I think it's worth every penny.

When I buy food I think about the producer before I consider the product. I like Baxters. Even after 135 years in business they're still a family-run firm. They're one of the major employers in the Morayshire area of Scotland as well as indirectly providing a living for many more people whose produce they buy. Even then, they still think of the family business depending on the people and produce of the area, rather than the other way round. Baxters is the sort of producer I like.

Open the can and the smell that meets you is not so much of fish as of the sea. You should always beware of fish that smells fishy – it's not good news! It's a creamy soup, but it isn't smooth. You'll see some quite substantial flakes of smoked haddock in there as well as pieces of potato. Traditionally it's the potato which thickens this soup. The colour is predominantly a creamy-beige because the fish used is the more expensive undyed smoked haddock. There's none of that hideous yellow fish in this can!

Prepare the soup in a pan by gently heating to below boiling point. Don't overcook it as this gives smoked fish a harsh after-taste. You can heat the soup in a microwave but I find this harder to control so I stick to the pan method. Serve immediately. If I'm serving this as a light lunch dish I usually provide a basket of crusty bread, but as a starter before a substantial main course I find that some unbuttered, thinly-sliced toast is best.

The taste is more delicate than you might expect. The haddock tastes of fish rather than the smokehouse. Some 15% of the soup is fish which makes it a nutritious meal. The flavours of the potatoes and onion come through, but only as supporting cast. There's a fine balance of flavours and although spices and seasoning have been added it isn't heavy-handed. It's a very satisfying soup with no cloying after-taste to spoil whatever else you might be eating.

A half-can serving of Cullen Skink contains 184 calories. Even if you're watching your weight you could still have some bread and enjoy a substantial lunch. The fat content is less than 4%. I'm afraid that if you have an allergy to nuts you will have to avoid this soup because of the methods of production.

Most cans have a long sell-by date. The one I bought from Sainsbury's this week will need to be used before November 2005, although I don't see that as being a problem. As I use one can I replace it with another. It's not only a good lunch or starter, it's also been the base for a rather hurried fish pie on more than one occasion. You'll need a fillet of fish for each person. I often use salmon, but haddock, cod or similar will do fine. You can use a mixture and it doesn't matter if some of the fish is smoked and some unsmoked. Skin the fish, cut into bite-sized chunks and place in the bottom of a pie dish. Pour a can of Cullen Skink soup over the fish and mix. Cover with mashed potato or puff pastry and bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.

I'm sure that Baxters won't mind if you don't explain where the delicious sauce came from!

 

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