The Tweed Kettle is a traditional Scottish dish from the Borders region, near the River Tweed, one of the largest salmon rivers in Scotland.
It is a soup or stew made from river fish, usually grilse (young salmon from the Tweed) often considered one of Scotland’s most rustic fish specialties.
Also known as salmon hash, it is a type of poached salmon usually served immersed in a flavorful fish broth and accompanied by potatoes or mushrooms; the fish itself is slow-cooked with fresh herbs and scallions, or syboes, as the Scots call them.
In the 19th century, this Scottish classic was one of the most popular dishes, often served in the taverns of old Edinburgh. Its name derives not only from the River Tweed but also from the traditional preparation method: cooking the whole salmon in a fish kettle.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Scottish
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2.9 lbs Young salmon
- 1 onion
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 2.1 cups water (or fish broth)
- 1.1 cups white wine
- to taste salt and pepper
- to taste parsley
Steps
In a saucepan, place onion, celery, bay leaf, and water (or broth).
Bring to a gentle boil and immerse the whole or sliced salmon.
Cook gently for about 10–12 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked.
Remove the fish, discard the skin and bones, and return the flesh to the strained soup.
Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine.
Serve hot with parsley and the salmon submerged in the broth.If you like, you can complete the soup by adding mushrooms at the end of cooking.
River Fish
Traditionally, Tweed Kettle is made with river trout, particularly trout from the River Tweed, from which it gets its name.
However, local or homemade variants may also use other freshwater fish, such as:
– young salmon (grilse) – used in some historical versions of the dish
– perch
– whitefish
in modern times, also farmed salmon, but it is not traditional.
In general, delicate fish with white or pink flesh typical of Scottish waterways are preferred.
Thus, trout is the classic and most traditional choice, but some versions accept similar fish.
