Cock-a-Leekie

• One 5 1/2- to 6-pound fowl or rooster, or two 3 1/2- to 4-pound broilers, with all giblets except liver and 1 veal marrow bone
• 8 or 9 large leeks
• 1 fresh thyme sprig, or 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme (optional)
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 to 3 teaspoons salt, to taste
• 2/3 cup medium pearl barley, washed
• 4 to 5 quarts water, as needed
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1. Place fowl, giblets, and veal bone in a 10-quart soup pot, preferably of enameled cast-iron or other nonreactive material.
2. Use the white bulbs of the leeks plus about 1 1/2 inches of the yellow-green tops.
3. Separate layers and wash well under running cold water until all sand is removed.
4. Wash a few of the larger but tender leaves and set them aside in a bowl of cold water.
5. Slice leeks diagonally in thick ovals and add to chicken along with peppercorns, salt, and barley.
6. Pour in 3 quarts water and bring to a boil slowly.
7. Skim off scum as it rises.
8. When the soup is clear, cover pot loosely and reduce heat to a very low but steady simmer.
9. The cooking time should be about 3 hours or until the chicken practically falls off the bone and both leeks and barley are nearly mush.
10. Add water sparingly, as needed, during cooking to keep chicken covered, and turn chicken several times.
11. Discard bone, removing any marrow to be diced and added to the soup.
12. Discard giblets and thyme sprig.
13. Remove chicken and trim off all skin and bones.
14. Cut, or, better yet, pull chicken meat into spoon-size shreds and set aside.
15. Skim all grease off top of soup, blotting with a paper towel to remove as much fat as possible.
16. Slice reserved leek greens thinly and add to soup along with reserved chicken.
17. Bring soup to the boiling point, then reduce heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for 20 minutes or until greens are tender.
18. Stir frequently to prevent barley from scorching.
19. Add parsley and adjust salt.
20. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then serve in large heated soup bowls.
21. Variation: Cock-a-Leekie with Prunes
22. Soak 10 unpitted, unsulphured prunes in cold water at room temperature for 5 hours.
23. Add to the soup for the last 30 minutes of cooking time and serve 1 or 2 prunes per portion.
24. (Do not use pitted prunes as their inside pulp will disintegrate and muddy the soup.)

rooster, leeks, thyme, black, salt, pearl barley, water, parsley

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/cock-a-leekie-2 (may not work)