Cock-a-Leekie Soup

I hope y'all can get past the name!

Revised 8/19/2010 after further experimentation



Despite the way the name may sound to modern ears, cock-a-leekie soup is a recipe from Scotland that has nothing to do with male urological maladies.

After seeing it discussed on a prior thread on 2.0: The Blogmocracy, and viewing a yummy-looking picture on Wikipedia, I was inspired to try it at home. I improvised a little; here's my recipe:

---

Cock-a-Leekie Soup

2 pounds fresh chicken pieces
2 leeks
1 medium-sized onion
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 pounds potatoes (I used red new potatoes; use whatever type you prefer)
54 ozs. (or more) canned chicken broth (WITHOUT added salt)
1 bay leaf
Fresh parsley
Dash of celery seed
Dash of thyme
Dash of rosemary
Black pepper to taste
Dash of Jalapeno or Habanero sauce
2 cups egg noodles (optional)

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into sections, but do not peel them.

Chop the onion coarsely.

Peel and slice the garlic.

Wash and slice the leeks. If you haven't worked with leeks before, you have to be careful to remove the loose portion of the green leaves, because soil can be trapped between the leaves.

Put the chicken, the potatoes, the broth, the bay leaf, celery seed, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper (if desired) into a large pot.

Add a small part of the parsley, the garlic, the onions, and the leeks; reserve the rest for later.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 90 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and discard.

Remove chicken pieces from the pot. Discard skin, cartilage, and bone. Return the meat to the pot.

Add the habanero sauce, the garlic, the onions, the leeks, and the egg noodles (if desired).

Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes - no more.

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Makes at least 4 servings.

---

Note: The traditional version is garnished with thin slices of prunes. I didn't have any on hand, but you might want to try that. Some other recipe variations add rice, pearl barley, cream, or flour as a thickener.