Cock-a-leekie soup, Pinoy style

Cock-a-leekie soup is a traditional Scottish dish. There are many ways of preparing it but, traditionally, the chicken is simmered whole then the meat is carved from the carcass before serving. And, for a more flavorful broth, free-range chicken, the kind that takes hours to cook, is used. I love cock-a-leekie soup, being a real fan of leeks, but I haven’t the time to carve the meat from the carcass. I chopped the whole chicken before cooking it. And for that Pinoy flair, I seasoned the soup with patis in lieu of salt. For added color and texture, I also added wedges of kalabasa (squash).

Now, we Filipinos take our soup differently. Most of our soup dishes are complete dishes with meat and vegetables that go well with rice. And we do eat the meat and vegetables with the rice with a bowl of broth on the side that we like to spoon onto our rice and sip as we eat. That was exactly how we enjoyed our Pinoy style cock-a-leekie soup tonight.

Ingredients :

1 whole chicken, cut into serving portions
2-3 bunches of leeks
1 whole garlic
1 bay leaf
10-12 peppercorns
1/4 of a large squash
patis, for seasoning

Cooking procedure :

Cut off the root ends and dark green portion of the leeks and discard. If the leeks are large, make a vertical incision down the middle without cutting through, just enough to expose the center. Open up and place under the tap to remove any trace of soil. This step isn’t often necessary if the leeks are small. Cut the white and light green portions into 2 to 3-inch lengths.

Cut off the skin of the squash and scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash into wedges.

Place the chicken pieces in a large cooking pan or pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, skimming off scum as it rises. Turn down the heat to low. Season with patis. Add the peppercorns, whole garlic and bay leaf. Simmer for 20 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf. Add the leeks. Simmer for another 20 minutes. Add the squash wedges and continue simmering until the squash is done.

Serve hot.

In the mood for more food?

1. Kiddie Spaghetti
2. Chicken and cabbage spring rolls
3. Lechon con kangkong (roast pork with water spinach)
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5. Lasang Pinoy 15 (Recycled, Reloaded!): Cooking with leftovers
6. Mango cheese pie
7. Choc Nut
8. Pork loin in apple, pineapple and ginger sauce
9. Beef enchiladas
10. Rice topping : sweet and spicy pork spare ribs

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