Cullen Skink or Smoked Haddock Chowder

I learned that Cullen is a town on the northeast coast of Scotland, from which this recipe hails. Although for this cookbook, a the recipe comes from a woman who runs a catering company in southern Maine and was asked to make the chowder for an event.

Since I have ties to Scotland on both sides of the family, I figured it is about time I learned how to use finnan haddie in a recipe! I walked into a local seafood shop to get some lobster for another recipe in this cookbook, and figured I should ask about smoked haddock, since I knew I'd need some sooner or later to do this recipe. So I said, "Do you have smoked haddock?" And she looked at me, somewhat puzzled, then said, "You mean finnan haddie?" and she pointed me to a freezer section. So apparently, when in Scotland, speak as the Scots do!

I thoroughly enjoyed cooking this chowder. It was especially a pleasure to walk out to the herb garden, pick the thyme and parsley, and bring it in and prepare it. You have to wrap the parsley stems with thyme, and let it "infuse" the milk. Sweet!

The smoked haddock was a little chewy. I am not sure if that is the way it is, or if I need to try another place for finnan haddie? The flavor was great, and I'd surely make this again, although heaven knows why I chose to make it in the heat of July. We'll just wait till cooler weather for the next time...