 The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup |
Cock-a-Leekie
from The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup
Along with haggis and shortbread, cock-a-leekie is one of Scotland's best-known dishes. Probably because of the leeks, it seems especially efficacious for a head cold. Whether for that reason or simply because she liked it - or, perhaps, as a diplomatic gesture towards Scotland - Queen Victoria had it served at a royal dinner in Windsor Castle in 1892. Perhaps her chef followed the instructions of Mrs. Margaret Dods, author of The Cook and Housewife's Manual, published in Edinburgh in 1826, who advised, "The soup must be very thick of leeks, and the first part of them must be boiled down into the soup until it becomes a lubricious compound."
Strictly speaking, this soup should be made with an old rooster - a cock. In times past, that meant the losers of cockfights, who were thrown into pots and cooked as long as necessary to impart a rich flavor to the soup and to tenderize the meat. It is much easier to find a large hen or fowl that simmers long and slowly until the leeks and barely melt to a heady porridge-like, lubricous compound. It a hen is also unavailable, 2 large broilers and a veal knucklebone should be substituted.
There are the inevitable pros and cons as to which ingredients are authentic. The most controversial seems to be prunes added toward the end of cooking time, a touch that sounded awful to me until I tasted the winy dimension they impart to the broth. I cared less for the flavor of the prune itself when eaten with the soup, and found it a mistake to store leftover soup with the fruit, as the brother then becomes too sweet. You can also get an argument as to whether the bird should be trussed, if it should be started in water or veal stock, if a veal bone should be added, and if the soup should include barley or herbs such as parsley, thyme, cloves, bay leaves, or mace.
The version below is the one I prefer.
One 5 1/2- to 6-pound fowl or rooster, or two 3 1/2- to 4-pund broilers, with all giblets except liver and 1 vela marrow bone
8 or 9 large leeks
1 fresh thyme sprig, or 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme (optional)
10 black peppercorns
2 to 3 teaspoons salt, to taste
2/3 cup medium pearl barley, washed
4 to 5 quarts water, as needed
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
Place fowl, giblets, and veal bone in 10-quart soup pot, preferably of enameled cast-iron or other nonreactive material.
Use the white bulbs of the leeks plus about 1 1/2 inches of the yellow-green tops. Separate layers and wash well under running cold water until all sand is removed. Wash a few of the larger but tender leaves and set then aside in a bowl of cold water. Slice leeks diagonally in thick ovals and add to chicken along with peppercorns, salt, and barley.
Pour in 3 quarts and bring to a boil slowly. Skim off scum as it rises. When the soup is clear, cover pot loosely and reduce heat to a very low but steady simmer. The cooking time should be about 3 hours or until the chicken practically falls off the bone and both leeks and barley are nearly mush. Add water sparingly, as needed, during cooking to keep chicken covered, and turn chicken several times.
Discard bone, removing any marrow to be diced and added to the soup. Discard giblets and thyme sprig. Remove chicken and trim off all skin and bones. Cut, or, better yet, pull chicken meat into spoon-size shreds and set aside. Skim all grease off top of soup, blotting with a paper towel to remove as much fat as possible. Slice reserved leeks greens thinly and add to soup along with reserved chicken.
Bring soup to the boiling point, then reduce heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for 20 minutes or until greens are tender. Stir frequently to prevent barley from scorching. Add parsley and adjust salt. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then serve in large heated soup bowls.
Leftover Cock-a-Leekie keeps well for 24 hours in the refrigerator and freezes well for up to 2 weeks. But because it is starchy and scorches easily, it should be reheated gently in a heavy-bottomed pot, preferably over an asbestos pad or metal insulator, or in a double broiler.
YEILD: 10 FIRST-COURSE SERVINGS; 6 GENEROUS MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS
VARIATION
Cock-a-Leekie with Prunes
Soak 10 unpitted, unsulphered prunes in cold water at room temperature for 5 hours. Add to the soup for the last 30 minutes of cooking time and serve 1 or 2 prunes per portion. (Do not use pitted prunes as the inside pulp will disintegrate and muddy the soup.)
© 2001 by Mimi Sheraton
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