Creamy Potato Smoked Haddock (Printable)

Comforting blend of potatoes and smoked haddock with aromatic herbs and creamy finish.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 12 oz smoked haddock fillet, skinless and boneless
02 - 2 cups whole milk

→ Vegetables

03 - 14 oz potatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 leek, white part only, sliced
06 - 1 celery stalk, diced

→ Liquids

07 - 2 cups fish or vegetable stock
08 - 6.8 tbsp double cream

→ Herbs & Seasonings

09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Fats

12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

# Steps:

01 - Place haddock in a saucepan with milk and bay leaf. Gently simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until just cooked. Remove haddock and set aside. Strain and reserve milk; discard bay leaf.
02 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, leek, and celery, then sauté gently for 5 minutes until softened without browning.
03 - Add diced potatoes to the pot, stirring for 2 minutes. Pour in reserved milk and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
04 - Remove pot from heat. Using a hand blender, partially blend the soup, leaving some texture intact.
05 - Flake poached haddock into bite-sized pieces, discard any bones. Add haddock and cream to soup. Warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes without boiling.
06 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped chives.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in under an hour but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The smoked haddock does the heavy lifting—no need for fancy technique, just good ingredients treated with respect.
  • Creamy without feeling heavy, substantial without being dense, it's that rare soup that actually satisfies.
02 -
  • Never boil the soup after adding cream or it will split and look curdled; gentle heat is not a suggestion, it's essential.
  • Reserve the poaching milk before you remove the haddock—this is where all the fish flavor lives, and it's what makes the soup taste complete.
  • Partial blending is crucial; over-blend and you lose the texture, under-blend and it feels chunky rather than velvety.
03 -
  • Keep the heat gentle throughout—this soup teaches you the difference between cooking at it and cooking with it, and the latter is always better.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning at the very end when you can see how the cream and fish have settled into the broth, not midway through cooking.

Go Back