Cabbie Claw

Cobbie (Cabbie) Claw

A traditional Scottish fish soup from the Orkney Islands, made with cod, potatoes, and milk. The name likely comes from the Norse 'kabbie' (cod) and 'claggan', a type of lidded pot — not a 'taxi driver's claw' as the anglicised spelling suggests.

Prep

15 min

Cook

40 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) cod fillets, skin on or off, fresh or properly thawed
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) potatoes, waxy variety such as Maris Piper or Yukon Gold, peeled and diced
• •1 large onion, finely chopped
• •40 g (3 tbsp) butter, or unsalted butter
• •40 g (¼ cup) plain flour, all-purpose
• •750 ml (3 cups) whole milk, full-fat traditional; semi-skimmed works
• •500 ml (2 cups) fish stock, made from cod bones if possible
• •1 bay leaf bay leaf
• •1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• •sea salt and white pepper, to taste, white pepper is traditional
• •30 g (2 tbsp) fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sweat for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent but not coloured.
2. 2 Stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to make a pale roux, stirring constantly.
3. 3 Gradually whisk in the fish stock, then the milk, a little at a time, to avoid lumps. Add the bay leaf and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often.
4. 4 Add the diced potatoes and simmer for 10–12 minutes until just tender.
5. 5 Cut the cod into 4 cm chunks. Slip them into the soup and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes, until the cod is just opaque and flakes easily — the internal temperature should reach 63 °C (145 °F). Do not boil hard or the fish will toughen.
6. 6 Remove the bay leaf. Season carefully with salt and plenty of white pepper. Taste and adjust.
7. 7 Ladle into warm bowls, scatter with parsley, and serve at once with crusty bread or Orkney oatcakes.