Cullen skink

English

WOTD – 25 January 2019

Etymology

A bowl of Cullen skink served with a bread roll

From Cullen (“a village and former royal burgh in Moray, Scotland, United Kingdom”) + skink (“(originally) pottage or soup made from a boiled joint of beef; pottage or soup made from other ingredients”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkʌlən ˈskɪŋk/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪŋk
• Hyphenation: Cul‧len skink

Noun

Cullen skink (uncountable)

1. A thick soup made of smoked finnan haddock, milk, onions, and potatoes, a local speciality of Cullen in Moray, Scotland.
   • 1986, Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, “Soups”, in From the Tables of Britain: Exploring Exciting English Cuisine in 250 Recipes, Lanham, Md., London: M. Evans, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, pages 102–103:

     CULLEN SKINK (Smoked Haddock Soup) […] Cullen is a fishing village and "skink" is the old Scots name for broth. It is a splendid soup, just right for wintry weather, especially in this modern version. […] Christopher Oakes, head chef of the Castle Hotel in Taunton, Somerset, has put together two traditional Scots soups, Cullen Skink (Smoked Haddock) and Cock-a-Leekie (Chicken Soup), to produce an interesting new soup.

   • 1992, Geoff Nicholson, chapter 5, in The Food Chain, Woodstock, N.Y.: The Overlook Press, →ISBN:

     In Scotland he had no trouble eating haggis, stovies or Cullen skink. He still had trouble with porridge, however, and when it crept up on him disguised under the name of Highland Brose and containing cream, honey and whisky, it was transformed into a powerful emetic.

   • 2006 March, David Lansing, “HopScotching the Inner Hebrides”, in Christine Richard, editor, Islands, Winter Park, Fla.: Islands Media Corp., →OCLC, page 92, column 2:

     […] Cullen skink is to the Hebrides what clam chowder is to New England. In fact, it's very similar to clam chowder, the main difference being that instead of clams, Cullen skink calls for smoked haddock.

   • 2007, “Soups and Salads”, in 1001 Foods to Die For, Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel Publishing, →ISBN, page 124:

     Like most traditional Scottish cooking, Cullen skink is simple, rib-sticking fare made from a handful of ingredients. It starts with a smoked haddock, known locally as a finnan haddie. The fish is gently poached in milk with onions, then flaked. The bones may go back into the pot for simmering to make the base of the soup. The strained broth is then thickened with mashed potato, a delicious way for a cook to use up last night's leftovers. […] With the North Sea winds rattling the windows, there is comfort in a bowl of Cullen skink.

Hypernyms

• skink
• soup

Translations

thick soup made of smoked haddock, milk, onions, and potatoes

• Hebrew: קאלן סקינק
• Scottish Gaelic: brot Cuilinn m

Further reading

• Cullen skink on Wikipedia.Wikipedia