Instructions: Trim and wash the white and pale green sections of large leeks. Chop. Spray the bottom of a nonstick soup pan (3qt). Add half the oil and rotate pan to spread the oil. Add the leek and diced carrot. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to mix and coat vegetables with the oil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until soft but not brown, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, spray a small nonstick skillet with cooking oil. Add the remaining olive oil. Heat the pan. Saute the chicken pieces seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry the chicken until lightly browned on all sides. Deglaze the pan with dry sherry. When the alcohol burns away, transfer the chicken to the soup pan and stir to mix with the leeks.

Add stock or water and bouillon, bouquet garni which includes a bay leaf. Bring to the boil, simmer for 30 minutes. Add the barley and prunes. Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the broth passes your taste test.

Remove the bay leaf and bouquet garni. Serve garnished lightly with chopped fresh parsley.

TIP - STOCK - Chicken bones, onions, celery, parsley, peppercorns, salt

TIP - Microwave barley in a specialized pan used to cook rice. Small quantities take about 10 minutes plus 2 minutes of stand time. (Rotate the pan twice during cooking. Drain.)

Description: "orange flavored prunes, chicken thigh, barley: fresh! fast!"
Yield: 6 cups
Start to Finish Time:
"0:50"

NOTES : Cock-a-Leekie means Chicken and Leek soup. Usually the two ingredients are matched (equal parts by weight). Its a Scottish main course that originally had beef as an ingredient along with the chicken, so you could add a bit of left-over roast beef near the end of cooking if you like. It has a clear and golden broth - because, traditionally, chicken is cooked with skin and bone and in one piece. Its later diced for serving. Sometimes barley and prunes replace bits of beef. There are many variations.

This recipe produces a hearty soup with distinctive flavors. More leek than chicken and far less fat.

Tested with water and bouillon; orange flavored prunes; Spice Hunter (R) bouquet Garni.

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