It is autumn which means it’s time for soup. Soup is one of those fabulous dishes where you can put just whatever you happen to have on hand into a pan, leave it all to simmer, and by the end of the day, you have a warming meal that pairs well with some good crusty bread.
British Food and Travel is in the process of putting together the first in a series of mini-cookbooks. Thus one will feature 10 traditional soup recipes. And as a sneak peek, we are sharing a recipe for Cock-a-Leekie.
Going by various versions of the same name – CockyLeekie, Cock-a-Leekie, etc – this is a traditional Scottish soup. A common fixture of many a Burns Night feast, it also apparently featured on the first class menu of the Titanic. But fear not. This is a hearty but oh-so-simple soup that anyone can enjoy.
Where did it come from?
Although now associated with Scotland, it seems most likely that the recipe originated in France as a simple chicken and onion soup. The Auld Alliance between the two countries ended in 1560. Prior to that, though, they had been closely linked by marriage, religion, and politics. So it is entirely possible that the recipe made its way across the Channel to Scotland, where it was adapted to suit local ingredients.
The earliest mention of the soup seems to date to 1598, when traveler and chronicler Fynes Moryson records that he had a “pullet with some prunes in the broth.” However, the name by which we now know it does not seem to have appeared before the 18th century.
Wait a minute. Prunes?
That’s right. Cock-a-Leekie soup includes prunes. Now as a lover of the prune, I’m going to say it’s been given a bad rap over the years. But prunes are wonderfully nutritious and add a rich, but not overpowering, sweetness to the broth.
The soup also includes chicken. Traditionally, many cooks would have used an older bird that would simmer all day in the broth. Now we can just use a younger bird that does not need such tenderizing, so your soup can be made much more quickly.
And whereas onions would have been a key ingredient in the French version, Scottish cooks adapted to what they had readily available – leeks. When cooked slowly, they caramelize and thicken the broth.
Some modern recipes add potato, carrots, or various other ingredients. These (in my mind, at least) make it a more general chicken and vegetable soup instead of a proper Cock-a-Leekie, but feel free to add what you like and make it your own.
So let’s get cooking!
Cock-a-Leekie Soup
The following recipe has very vague amounts. That’s because I made it for two people but cooked a whole chicken for later use. If you want to make enough soup for a larger crowd, use more of the chicken, and multiply the other amounts accordingly.
- 1 chicken, whole or jointed. (Or you can use bone-in thighs).
- 1 leek
- About 600 ml / 20 fl oz water or chicken broth
- 10-12 black peppercorns
- About 6 whole prunes
If preparing from scratch, cover the chicken with water, the green tough parts of the leeks, and the peppercorns. Bring to a boil, and simmer for a couple of hours until the meat is falling off the bones. Save the resulting stock for use in the soup. Remove the meat, putting aside whatever you want to use in the soup and freezing the remainder for later use.
If using pre-cooked chicken, move on to the next step.
Wash and chop the white parts of the leeks, taking care to remove any dirt that has worked its way between the layers.
Put the stock from cooking the chicken into a large pan, along with the chopped whites of the leek, and the prunes. You can simmer for as little as ten minutes, but I like to leave it to cook for about half an hour to give the leeks a chance to soften and thicken things up a bit more.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with a little fresh parsley and eat with some crusty bread.
Delicious!
Reminder: Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming mini-cookbook announcement!
