COCK-A-LEEKIE
We made a version of this recently at St. John, and it was so surprising and good that even though it is an old classic I thought I should include this version. I hope that no one will take offense if it seems to break with hundreds of years of cock-a-leekie culture. This is more than a soup; in fact, it would happily pass as a meal in itself.
Servings
8
Servings
8
Ingredients
BRISKET
CHICKEN
FINISHING
Instructions
BRISKET
  1. Place the brisket and its accompanying vegetables and herbs in a pan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, then straight away reduce to a very gentle simmer, skimming constantly. This should take about 2½ hours to cook, but always check with a knife how giving the meat is. Allow the beef to cool in the broth.
CHICKEN
  1. Place the chicken in a pan with its team of vegetables and herbs, bring to a boil, then place a lid on the pan and remove from the heat. Allow to cool in the stock. This will make for a moist chicken, as it is to be cooked again.
  2. Remove beef and chicken from their stocks and cut into pieces, not too small but just so it’s possible to eat them with a spoon. Strain both stocks, then add the beef stock to the chicken stock to taste. (Remember, it will be quite salty, so be cautious—it may not take much. A slight salt undertone is a good thing, though, as it plays very well with the sweet prunes we shall add at the end.)
  3. If your combined stock is cloudy or you are anxious about its aesthetic nature, clarify.
FINISHING
  1. Now, in a pan large enough to construct your soup, sweat your sliced leeks in the duck fat or olive oil for about 8 minutes, so as to bring out their sweet leeky nature, but not to lose their crunch. Pour on the stock. Add the chopped chicken and beef, bring to a gentle simmer and let the meat heat through thoroughly. Three minutes before serving add the prunes, just giving them time to puff up.
  2. Serve in big bowls with much bread to hand.