Cock-a-Leekie

• 2 to 2 1/4 pounds brined beef brisket (brined for 10 to 12 days, or corned beef brisket from the butcher)
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• A bundle of thyme and curly parsley tied together
• 1 free-range chicken, or capon if available (slit the skin where the legs meet the body)
• 2 onions, peeled
• 2 leeks, cleaned
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• A bundle of thyme
• A few sprigs of curly parsley
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 5 leeks, cleaned and sliced across
• The smallest dash of duck fat or olive oil
• 24 prunes with their pits (preferably Agen prunes from France, if you can find them)

1. Brisket
2. Place the brisket and its accompanying vegetables and herbs in a pan and cover with fresh water.
3. Bring to a boil, then straightaway reduce to a very gentle simmer, skimming constantly.
4. This should take about 2 1/2 hours to cook, but always check with a knife how giving the meat is.
5. Allow the beef to cool in the broth.
6. Chicken
7. Place the chicken in a pan with its team of vegetables and herbs, bring to a boil, then place a lid on the pan and remove from the heat.
8. Allow to cool in the stock.
9. This will make for a moist chicken, necessary as it is to be cooked again.
10. Remove the beef and chicken from their stocks and cut into pieces, not too small but just so its possible to eat them with a spoon.
11. Strain both stocks, then add the beef stock to the chicken stock to taste.
12. Remember, the beef stock will be quite salty, so be cautiousit may not take much.
13. (A slight salt undertone is a good thing, though, as it plays very well with the sweet prunes we shall add at the end.)
14. Finishing
15. Now, in a pan large enough to construct your soup, sweat your sliced leeks in the duck fat or olive oil for about 8 minutes, so as to bring out their sweet leeky nature, but not to lose their crunch.
16. Pour in the stock.
17. Add the chopped chicken and beef, bring to a gentle simmer, and let the meat heat through thoroughly.
18. Three minutes before serving add the prunes, just giving them time to puff up.
19. Dont pit the prunes.
20. Serve in big bowls with much bread at hand.
21. Warn your guests about the pits.

beef brisket, onions, carrots, leeks, bay leaves, black, bundle of thyme, chicken, onions, leeks, stalks of celery, bay leaves, black, bundle of thyme, parsley, rosemary, leeks, olive oil, france

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/cock-a-leekie (may not work)