Cock-a-leekie — Chicken and Leek Broth with Prunes
A long, comforting broth of chicken simmered with melting leeks, thickened with a little oatmeal, where prunes bring a typically Scottish sweet note. The contrast of salty poultry and dried fruit is pleasantly surprising.
A long, comforting broth of chicken simmered with melting leeks, thickened with a little oatmeal, where prunes bring a typically Scottish sweet note. The contrast of salty poultry and dried fruit is pleasantly surprising.
Approach your bowl, I pray. Here is the broth I cannot do without when the Edinburgh fog returns: a good hen, a generous handful of leeks, and — do not laugh — a few prunes that sweeten the heart of the broth. My club friends always marvel at first, then ask for seconds. Let it simmer without haste, for patience, here as in philosophy, makes all the savor.
- •Fat hen — 1 whole (base of the broth)
- •Leeks — a generous bunch (signature vegetable)
- •Prunes — a good handful (Scottish sweet note)
- •Oatmeal — a few spoonfuls (thickener)
- •Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Cock-a-leekie — Chicken and Leek Broth with Prunes
A long, comforting broth of chicken simmered with melting leeks, thickened with a little oatmeal, where prunes bring a typically Scottish sweet note. The contrast of salty poultry and dried fruit is pleasantly surprising.
Why this dish? Foundation soup of Edinburgh tables, where Hume held his salon and entertained his friends from the Select Society; this chicken broth opened the bourgeois dinners of the Scottish Enlightenment that the 'good David' so cherished.
Approach your bowl, I pray. Here is the broth I cannot do without when the Edinburgh fog returns: a good hen, a generous handful of leeks, and — do not laugh — a few prunes that sweeten the heart of the broth. My club friends always marvel at first, then ask for seconds. Let it simmer without haste, for patience, here as in philosophy, makes all the savor.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fat hen — 1 whole (base of the broth)
- Leeks — a generous bunch (signature vegetable)
- Prunes — a good handful (Scottish sweet note)
- Oatmeal — a few spoonfuls (thickener)
- Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Hen or free-range chicken thighs — 1.2 kg (base of the broth)
- Leeks — 6 large (signature vegetable)
- Pitted prunes — 12 (sweet note)
- Rolled oats — 2 tbsp (thickener)
- Water or broth — 2.5 L (liquid)
- Salt, pepper, thyme — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Place the hen in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and skim carefully.
- Add half the leeks (especially the green parts) and simmer on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Remove the hen, debone, return the meat to the strained broth.
- Add the remaining sliced leeks and the prunes, cook for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the rolled oats to lightly thicken, cook 10 minutes, adjust salt and pepper.
How it was made : Cock-a-leekie is attested as early as the 16th century at the Scottish court; in Hume's time it was often made with an old tough cock that long cooking tenderized, hence the name. The prune, inherited from trade with France, was common in affluent Scottish cooking.
The contemporary twist : Serve the clear broth separately in a cup, then arrange the meat and leeks in the center of a shallow bowl, with a warm prune on top.
Sources : F. Marian McNeill, The Scots Kitchen (1929) · Meg Dods, The Cook and Housewife's Manual (1826)
David Hume · Charactorium
