Cock-a-Leeky with a Twist

For those few that have been regular followers of my blog, you know that I love my ancestry, and the peasant foods that come with it. As such, I like to make the foods when I know that my wife cannot object. Such was the case yesterday when I was home with my sick son.

Cock-a-leeky is a great soup for sickness, because it's almost entirely a broth with very little other solids in it. Therefore, for someone with a rather queasy stomach, it goes down light and nourishes. It's also very sweet, brought on by the rehydrating prunes added at the end. All in all, it's my favorite chicken soup.

Now, normally you would add ox tail soup bones to the pan, along with a whole chicken, let it roast, and then start the soup. The reason being is that you want a full, hearty soup that tastes great and has as much nourishment in it as possible. Of course, I didn't have the time or inclination to make a full batch (and the store didn't have soup bones), so I had to compromise. I purchased three small lamb chops, and use them instead (which is my twist). ^_^

Here are the ingredients for my soup:

3 small lamb chops
6 pieces of chicken breast (equaling perhaps two full chicken breasts)
2 cans chicken broth
6 leeks - chopped
parsley flakes to taste
4 prunes cut in half

I started by pulling out a non-coated pan, because the initial part of this soup requires some brazing. I then coated the bottom of the pan with olive oil, and set in my chops. After browning each side, I added the chicken broth and the chicken. Normally at this point I would add whole chicken pieces with bones and water, but this was a short-cut. Then I added half the leeks.

I let this cook for about an hour, simmering and reducing down for a nice strong flavor. Then, I removed the lamb (and ate it on the side). I then removed the chicken, and cut it into smaller pieces, then placed it back in. I seasoned with the parsley, added the rest of the leeks. I added more water, then added the prunes.

Not once did I need to add salt (plenty in the broth). Once it simmered down again (after about a half an hour), it was done. The flavor was perfect, with a slight bold, strong flavor from the lamb. This is perhaps the best version of cock-a-leeky I have ever made, even if I do say so myself. ^_^