January 1, 2014

Cock-a-Leekie

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Cock-a-Leekie

(Scottish Chicken and Leeks Soup)

Cock-a-leekie

January: National Soup Month

The ultimate comfort food for cold weather (and for colds and flu) is chicken soup. We have blogged before about tinolang manok, a Filipino-style chicken soup. But this recipe post is for cock-a-leekie, a Scottish-style chicken soup, for Hogmanay (Scottish New Year) and the upcoming Burns Supper celebrations in the latter part of January.

Highlander’s Scottish relatives shared several versions of their recipes with us but we have adapted one for our own tastes and kept the traditional ingredients—cock (chicken), leekie (leeks) and prunes. Other recipes add bacon rashers, rice or barley as thickeners, carrots, celery and onions. The hot broth is heart-warming, the chicken provides protein to the body, leeks lend a natural flavor and the prunes are for fiber.

During National Soup Month, cook a comfort food, cock-a-leekie, (Scottish chicken and leeks soup). Slàinte mhor (great health)!

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 leeks, sliced (white parts only)
  • 6 chicken drumsticks (2 leg quarters or 4 thighs)
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
  • 8+ cups of chicken stock
  • bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf and parsley mix)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ – 1 cup prunes, cut in half

Directions

Wash the leeks thoroughly to remove the dirt embedded below the green tops. Trim the bottom of the leeks and slice the white parts. In a large pot, brown the chicken in melted butter. Stir in the chopped bacon and cook till crisp.

Cock-a-leekie

Add the sliced leeks. Pour in the chicken stock and bouquet garni. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to simmer. Let it stew for one hour, stirring occasionally and adding a cup or two of water to the broth, if more liquid is needed.

Cock-a-leekie

Remove the chicken from the pot, then take the meat off the bones and chop coarsely. Return the chopped chicken meat to the soup pot and season with salt and pepper. Add the prunes and simmer for 15 more minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls or cups. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Cock-a-leekie

Notes 

  • Happy Hogmanay (Scottish New Year) to all our blog readers! Have a happy and healthy new year!
  • We made a bouquet garni by putting a half teaspoon of dried thyme, one bay leaf and a teaspoon of dried parsley in a tea bag. Soak it in the soup while it is simmering over the stovetop. Discard after cooking.
  • Check out other chicken soup recipes by searching our blog.
 

January 1, 2013

Leek and Tattie Soup

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , , , |
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Leek and Tattie Soup

Leek and Tattie Soup

January: National Soup Month

We warm up in the wintertime with a traditional Scottish soup. Leeks and tatties (potatoes) are cheap and chunky to make a filling first course. Though this soup is simple, it is served at even the finest Burns Suppers. This is when the Scots get together on January 25 to celebrate the birthday and life of their national poet Robert Burns (1759-1796). Traditional Scottish food is served, such as soup, haggis, oatcakes, whisky and dessert. Guests enjoy poetry readings, bagpipe music and Highland dancing.

We like leek and tattie soup straight from the stock pot when we cook it at home. But sometimes we add milk and cream and puree everything in the blender to make a fancy French version of this soup called Vichyssoise. Savor the soup made with leeks and tatties during National Soup Month or on Burns Night on January 25.

Recipe

(Adapted from “Scottish Heritage Food and Cooking” by Carol Wilson and Christopher Trotter)

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion
  • 2 leeks
  • 3 large potatoes
  • ¼ cup butter, divided use
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Chop the onions. Wash and slice the leeks, discarding the thread-like ends on the white part. Wash, peel and chop the potatoes.

Leek and Tattie Soup

In a large pot, slowly melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Saute the onions and the leeks until soft (about 5 minutes) but do not brown. Stir in the potatoes and mix with the onions and leeks. Cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot and simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Ladle into soup bowls and serve hot.

Leek and Tattie Soup

Notes 

  • Happy New Year and Hogmanay to our blog readers! Robert Burns wrote the traditional new year’s anthem “Auld Lang Syne”.
  • Thanks to our neighbors across the street, Glenn and Anna Maria B., who are pioneer settlement re-enactors, for letting us borrow their rustic clad iron soup kettle as a prop for the final food photo.
  • Search our blog for more Scottish and other soup recipes.
 

January 1, 2012

Chupe de Camarones Peruano

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Chupe de Camarones Peruano

(Peruvian Shrimp/Crayfish Soup)

Chupe de Camarones Peruano

January: National Soup Month

Look at the little llama (pictured below) that Islander’s friend, Tina P., brought back as a souvenir for her after a trip from Peru. The plush toy is so cute and cuddly and the fur feels ultrasoft! Tina said it can get chilly in her country, especially in the Andes mountains. Llama wool is made into sweaters and blankets to keep the Peruvian people cozy and warm in the winter and in higher elevations.

llama

Another way one can keep warm is by eating chupe de camarones (shrimp/crayfish soup), a dish originating from Arequipa in the country’s coastal region but is popular throughout Peru. Packed with potatoes, various vegetables and shrimp or crayfish, mixed with milk and topped with an egg, the seafood stew is both hearty and heartwarming. Prepare this Peruvian shrimp/crayfish soup to keep warm in the winter and to observe National Soup Month.

Recipes

(Adapted from Cocina Peruana, Nuestro Sabor Para el Mundo by Walter H. Wust)

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 large tomato
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 large potato
  • ½ cup carrots
  • ¼ cup peas
  • 1 cup shrimp or crayfish, shelled and deveined
  • ¼ cup evaporated milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-3 eggs
  • 2-3 cooked shrimp or crayfish in its shell (optional)
  • parsley leaves (optional)

Directions

Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Chop the onion and tomato. Wash, peel and dice the potato. Slice the carrots. In a large pot, heat the oil and saute the garlic cloves and chopped onion until transparent and soft. Stir in the chopped tomatoes until it gives out a reddish tinge.

Chupe de Camarones Peruano

Pour in the water to cover the potatos and carrots. Boil for about 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft, adding another ½ cup or more of water if evaporated. Mix in the peas and shrimp or crayfish. Cook until the seafood is pink. Stir in the milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep the stew warm while cooking the eggs. Heat a little oil in a small skillet or omelet pan. Fry each egg. Blot off excess oil on the eggs with paper towels if necessary. Ladle the soup in bowls and top each with an egg. Garnish with a cooked shrimp or crayfish and parsley. Yield: 2-3 servings.

Chupe de Camarones Peruano

Notes

  • Because Peru is in the southern hemisphere, the winter season is during the months of July and September.
  • Muchas gracias to amiga Tina P. for gifting Islander with the llama and many other Peruvian souvenirs and to Hermano Brian H. for letting us borrow his bilingual cookbook (he ministered in Peru for a few years).
 

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