Cock-a-leekie (serves 4)

Total time: 2 hours

Active time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 a small celery root
• 3 leeks
• 2 calf knuckles
• 4 sprigs parsley
• Ground black peppercorns
• 3 medium onions
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 25 g butter
• Strong chicken stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Clean the chicken inside and out with cold water. Leave to dry, then place in a large pan. Chop the carrots, celery and one of the leeks. Peel one of the onions, chop finely and sweat in some butter. Add the leek and fry for a short time. Add to the chicken, along with the calf knuckles, parsley, black peppercorns and larded onion. Add enough chicken stock to just cover the ingredients, and bring to the boil. Skim the top if necessary. Cover and allow to cook gently at a slow heat for around 1-and-1/4 hours.

Wash the remaining leeks and cut into rings. Peel the remaining onions and chop finely, fry together in butter. Deglaze with a ladleful of chicken stock. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add more stock regularly; the leek mixture should end up as a kind of thick soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the chicken from the stock and skin it, remove the calf meat from the bones and cut into wide strips. Add to the leek soup and heat through. Serve.