"How 'bout cock-a-leekie soup?" said my wife, spread across the sofa, taking a break from the paper to discuss what's-for-dinner. Later I received a link to a recipe in The Guardian.
What I loved most about this recipe was that it didn't call for store-bought chicken stock nor ask that you make your own in advance. The stock-making was built into the recipe.
Certainly you wouldn't have put low-sodium, store-bought chicken broth in the cock-a-leekie recipe when it first appeared in the 16th century. Why should it today?
Because I don't always want to make the perfect roast chicken, I made the perfect soup. The below variation on The Guardian's recipe uses a whole chicken rather than two legs for maximum flavor. I also see no reason to skimp on economical and flavorful carrots. (There's also no reason you couldn't add a few stalks of celery as well; the leeks will give you plenty of onionyness, and their greens are terrifically flavorful and even give it more body.)
If you want to go for extra credit, remove all the skin, spread it on parchment, put parchment and a sheet pan on top and roast it in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and crisp. Use for a crunchy garnish. If not the skin will give body to the broth and should be discarded after it's given up its goodness.
I love how off-hand, where-did-that-idea-come-from notions of what we're hankering for lead to fun in the kitchen. This is a great economical tasty dish, especially during this frigid weather. (Though Mom tells me it's bloody hot in West Palm .... Sigh).
And what about the prunes?! More about that in tomorrow's newsletter.
Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Ingredients
- 1 4-pound chicken (it can be as large as 5 pounds)
- 2 quarts water
- salt to taste
- 6 large carrots
- 6 leeks
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 slices bacon, coarsely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup dry barley, cooked in water or stock to taste
- ½ cup pitted prunes cut in a large dice
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Two to four hours before you want to eat, remove the legs and wings from the chicken. If you wish separate the back from the breasts to make the chicken fit the pot better. Cover with the water, bring to a simmer and cook for thirty minutes.
- Remove the breast from the pot, while the rest continues to simmer. When it's cool enough to handle, remove the breast meat and return the skin and the carcass to the pot. Chop or shred the breast meat into bite-sized pieces.
- After one hour of cooking remove the legs from the pot and when they're cool enough to handle remove the meat from the bones and return the bones and skin to the pot. Cut the dark meat into bite-sized pieces.
- While the bones continue to simmer, add four carrots to the pot. Peel and cut the remaining carrots into bite-sized pieces and hold them in a bowl of cold water covered with a paper towel.
- Cut the leeks in two, to separate the green from the white and pale green parts. Cut the greens in half lengthwise and wash out any dirt. Add them to the pot along with the bay leaves and the bacon (if using). Simmer for at least another hour or up to three more hours.
- Cut the leek whites into half inch discs. (If the leeks are very dirty you'll need to cut them in half lengthwise, clean them and cut them into half-inch pieces. Add them to the carrot mixture.
- Strain the broth into a clean pot (or simply remove all bones, vegetables, and bay leaves from the broth).
- Strain the carrot and leeks and add them to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrots are al dente. Add the reserved chicken the cooked barley and the prunes and simmer until it's all piping hot. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed, along with freshly ground black pepper.
What I love about this recipe besides that it produces a classic is that it's waste free and nearly infinitely flexible. Don't like prunes? Leave 'em out. Got some celery wilting in the fridge and a nearly empty bag of peas in the freezer? Add 'em. No barley? Use rice. It won't be an "authentic" result, but this recipe is a great starting point for wherever your supplies and tastes lead.
exactly. thank you!
In my opinion, the largest spoken language in the world is love irrespective of the largest spoken language in India, Hindi or Telugu or Tamil
agree. and we've never needed more of that language than now. at least here in the US.