We confess that much of our usual menu reflects the sun-baked cuisines of the Mediterranean rim. They are dishes full of tomatoes, citrus fruit, garlic, and fresh herbs. But those dishes don’t always sync up with our New England climate, which has more in common with Scotland than with Sardinia.
Okay, Scottish dining usually conjures up images of haggis, cullen skink (don’t ask), or deep-fried Snickers. But Glasgow also gave us Gordon Ramsey. This time of year the Scottish markets (and ours in New England) overflow with root veggies such as leeks, parsnips, celery root, and carrots. The leek is the real clean-up hitter of the Scottish kitchen. It lends a rich flavor to everything it touches, especially the myriad of Scottish soups based on meat broth and leeks and usually thickened with barley. When we’ve visited Glasgow and Edinburgh in the gray, dank days of early spring, we often choose the soup of the day at whichever pub we pick for lunch. That’s the Fiddler’s Arms in Grassmarket, Edinburgh at the top of the post.
If we’re lucky, that soup might be cock-a-leekie. It’s an old-fashioned dish that is sweetened with onion-y leeks, snipped prunes, and star anise. We suspect that the star anise was a flavor that Scottish soldiers brought back from India, but it sure works wonders in this soup. The haunting herbal licorice note comes from a chemical in seeds called anethole. It is, we’re told, 13 times sweeter than sugar.
COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP
This hearty soup combines chewy chicken with the sweet onion flavor of leeks, the pleasant sweetness of prunes, and the haunting aroma of star anise. The starch from pearl barley combines with the leeks to ensure a rich and rib-sticking bowl. We’ve adapted this recipe from the more complex treatment created by Melissa Clark for the New York Times. Click here to see the original. Her recipe addresses what we always thought was a dilemma when cooking with leeks—using up the tough green tops. She uses them along with the carrot peelings and an entire clove of garlic to make the soup stock while cooking the chicken. Our version below is quicker and less messy to prepare.
Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried French thyme
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 8 cups homemade chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 3 medium carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 5 large leeks
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup pearl barley
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted prunes
- salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Season chicken with salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and minced garlic. Set in deep stew pot and add chicken stock, bay leaves, and star anise. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until chicken is cooked through and very tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove chicken to a plate to cool and strain stock into a large bowl. Discard bay leaves and star anise.
While chicken is cooking, prepare carrots, celery, and leeks. Peel carrot and cut into 1/2-inch rounds. Cut celery into very thin slices. Clean leeks, discarding tough green tops and any roots. Slice white and light green portions of leeks into 1/2-inch rounds. Finely chop any remaining leeks.
Rinse out soup pot and wipe clean. Add butter to pot over medium heat. Cook the leek rounds on each side until lightly browned. Remove from pot and reserve. Add remaining chopped leeks, carrots, celery and stock to pot. Stir in barley. Cook uncovered until liquid is reduced by a third and barley is tender. Taste and add salt if needed.
While broth is simmering, break up chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. When barley is cooked, stir in chicken meat and chopped prunes. Continue simmering 5-10 minutes. Taste again and adjust seasoning. Serve with chopped parsley.