There’s no place like home
And for Mr M, nothing says home like a lovely big bowl of fish soup. Now, when I first met Mr M he pretended he could cook. He had a small selection of manageable dishes, and just used to rotate them. Young and foolish as I was, this led me to believe he could cook pretty much anything. Little did I know. In reality he could cook four dishes: spaghetti bolognese (standard boy fayre), chicken fajitas (buy a box and follow the directions), omlettes (he does make a delicious cheese and tomato omlette) and fish soup (what on earth????). This was an alien concept to me. I mean, fish? In a soup? As in, fish soup? I was really not very convinced about the whole idea.
I must admit that the northern boy’s efforts have won me over. Who would have thought that such a simple selection of ingredients could turn into something so delicious? And that really is the beauty and the wonder of cooking, I find: being able to take something ordinary and produce something extraordinary.
If you fancy enjoying some of this northern magic yourself, you could do the following:
1. Peel about 750g tatties and chop into chunks of a similar size. Put them in a big pan with a chopped onion and four small haddock fillets. Add enough water to just cover the fish and vegetables and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the tatties are cooked.
2. Add a tin or two of evaporated milk (depending how thin or thick you like your soup) and continue to simmer for about 30 mins.
3. Just before serving, add a couple of handfuls of finely chopped parsley and a dollop of butter. Season to taste. This amount will serve about 6 people, depending how hungry you are.
You may be able to tell that Mr M isn’t one for exact measurements! You could use smoked haddock if you like, which would technically be Cullen Skink, but we quite enjoy the more subtle taste of Mr M’s fish soup. If you try it, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it too!
You were indeed young and foolish… as a child of 7 though who can blame you?!
Also, does that fish soup have a skin on it?
I am still sceptical about such food.
I was young, but not that young!
And yes, it does appear to have skin. I think I’d been taking photos of it for about a minute already when I took this one so it had time to form. Yum.
No matter who makes it, it is still vile. And the smell….I feel the retching coming on already!
Disclaimer: Am sure if you like fish, it tastes lovely. Maybe the cats would like it!
Hahaha, boys can be so tricksy!
The idea of chicken fajitas in a box sounds very dubious to me—as does fish soup. I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of culinary…delight. :/
It is indeed an acquired taste. But once you’ve acquired it it’s surprisingly nice.
Also, the chicken doesn’t come in the box, you have to add that along with fresh veg. The box contains tortilla wraps, salsa and a sachet of spices. And step by step instructions, for boys!