Why Aldi’s hearty Cullen Skink will bowl over customers
Aldi sells the award-winning Scottish classic recipe in stores across the country
THE PERFECT recipe for Cullen Skink is a contentious subject in the north of Scotland but Alan Downie claims the crown.
His version of the hearty smoked haddock soup, which he supplies to Aldi, is not only awardwinning, but he knows at least one home cook who passes it off as her own at parties.
Downies of Whitehills has been going since 1870 and today is still a familyrun firm, with Alan, the fifth generation, now at the helm.
Alan adapted his mum’s recipe and is now proud to supply Aldi with Specially Selected Cullen Skink, sharing the dish that’s famous in fishing communities in the north-east to food lovers across Scotland.
Simplicity is the secret to the delicious dish and, with only a handful of ingredients, the quality and taste of each is crucial to the final product.
Alan says: “We keep it simple, with a high fish content, Scottish potatoes from the farm five miles down the road, locally grown onions and local full-fat Scottish milk, butter and cream.
“We make our own fish stock because everyone knows the basis of a good soup is the stock.”
Everything is cooked in one pot, so none of that rich flavour is lost and no thickeners are added – everything is natural.
Alan says: “We melt the butter fast and sauté onions in the butter to soften, then we put in milk and potatoes, which are cooked in the milk, then we add in the fish. The last thing that goes in is the double cream.”
The dish originates from the village of Cullen, 10 miles away, and “skink” means soup.
Elsewhere, it might be called smoked haddock chowder, but only the original and best can be Scottish Cullen Skink.
“I’m a great believer that if we get someone to buy it once, they will buy it a second time,” says Alan.
His Scottish Cullen Skink is just one of the delicious products from Aldi’s fish range, including the salmon fillets featured in our recipe here, which bring the best of the catch to Scottish customers.