Mother’s Day recipes: Cullen Skink | Lamb shank

Andy Cumming of Rogano's Rhubarb Tart. Picture: Contributed

I BELIEVE the best family moments are formed around a good meal – whether it’s a special visit to a favourite restaurant or a home-cooked dinner. I’ll be opting for the latter this Mother’s Day, when I’ll be enjoying a roast with my parents, Betty and Gordon.

My mother is a fantastic cook and a major influence on what I do. My parents grew everything they could in the garden, it was like something from The Good Life; from the age of five I was scrubbing potatoes or climbing trees for apples. Within half an hour of being picked, the food was on the table. On family camping holidays in France my mother introduced me to mussels and langoustines – simplicity and freshness were the two main components in every meal, rather than fancy recipes.

This approach really shaped my understanding of food, and mirrors what we do in Rogano; sourcing the freshest local food we can and letting the quality speak for itself.

I love my mum’s soup and return every Sunday for a bowl, but this week I’ll let her put her feet up and make a meal that pays homage to everything she’s taught me about food. Sadly my parents’ vegetable patch in the garden is mostly gone, but there are still some potatoes and rhubarb, which incorporate nicely into favourite Rogano dishes.

My recipes make for a great meal for the family this Mother’s Day. They’re special enough for an occasion, but with a hearty, homely feel.

CULLEN SKINK Serves 4

When I was growing up a giant pot of Cullen skink was one of my mum’s specialities that we always looked forward to, and this is her recipe. With all the haddock, potatoes and leek ingredients it can be a hearty meal in itself. Serve with a fresh crusty loaf for dunking.

60g butter

½ medium onion, finely chopped

3 sticks celery, finely diced and washed

green part 1 leek, finely shredded and washed

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

salt and pepper

2 pale smoked haddock cut into 1cm cubes

1 litre milk

50g curly parsley, finely chopped

1 In a thick-based pot melt the butter and sweat the onion, celery, leek and potato without colouring them.

2 Season the mixture with salt and pepper and add the haddock and milk.

3 Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 10-12 minutes to cook the potatoes.

4 Check seasoning and add the parsley to finish.

BRAISED BALSAMIC LAMB SHANKS AND CREAMED POTATO Serves 4

With the balsamic vinegar and white borlotti bean ingredients, this is an Italian-style recipe that is ideal for a big family roast. I always head down to the farmers’ markets at Glasgow’s Queen’s Park or Clarkston on a Saturday to buy lamb.