Title: Cock-A-Leekie
Categories: Soup
Yield: 6 Servings

8

Pieces of frying chicken (A 3 to 4-pound chicken should do i

Cock-a-Leekie

A pound of beef shanks, hacked into stewing size (about 1") 6 cups of chicken stock. (Canned is ok, but it's better if you make your own ahead of time.) 3 slices of thick bacon or maybe salt pork, diced pretty fine. 1 Tblsp dried thyme. (Whole is better!) 1 bay leaf 3/4 cup pearl barley. (The kind you use in soup.) 1 1/2 cups of leeks. (Rinse and chop white parts only.) Salt and pepper as you require.

You're going to need an 8-quart or better casserole that can stand up to the stove burners. Bring the whole thing to a boil, (leave out the barley, leeks, salt and pepper.) Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, bring the barley to a boil in 1 1/2 cups of water for 10 min., drain and set it aside. Debone the chicken when it's done and set it aside. Add the leeks to the pot along with the barley and simmer for 15 minutes. (Still with me?) Then debone the beef and chop coarsely. Dump the beef and the chicken back in the pot and simmer, covered, for 5 min. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Sing "Men of Harlech." Pour a single malt. Serve.

And, if you're not up to Cock-a-Leekie ... In "A Moveable Feast" (sic) Ernest Hemingway offers the following leek recipe: Trim leeks, leaving just a smidgen of green and rinse them. Steam them for about 20 minutes or boil them for about the same time, until they are reasonably tender. Meanwhile, mix equal parts of extra-virgin olive oil and wine vinegar with a whisk in a bowl. When leeks are cooked, cut into quarters lengthwise and put them in a bowl of the oil/vinegar mix. They should be just covered by the mix. Cover the bowl and put in refrigimagrator for an hour or so. (Overnight is even better, but St. David's Day is already upon us.) Then dust them with a healthy dose of fresh-ground pepper and serve as a salad or side dish.

Source CIS Sailing Forum Contributed by: Pete Porro

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