Cock A Leekie Risotto With Bacon Food

LEEK, BACON, AND PEA RISOTTO

Steps:

• Halve leeks lengthwise; rinse thoroughly. Pat dry; thinly slice. In a saucepan, bring broth to a simmer over medium. Meanwhile, in a large, straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium, stirring, until lightly browned but not crisp, 5 minutes. Add leeks; cook, stirring, until softened, 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, 1 minute.
• Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until broth is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Repeat process, gradually adding broth, until rice is al dente and risotto is creamy (you may not need all the broth), about 35 minutes. Stir in peas (if using) after the final addition of broth.
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in Parmesan. Cover and let stand 2 minutes. Season risotto with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Reserve half the risotto (about 4 cups) in refrigerator for risotto cakes. Serve remaining risotto with Parmesan.

OVEN-BAKED LEEK & BACON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Tip the oil into an ovenproof casserole dish. Add bacon and fry for 2 mins. Add the leeks and cook until soft, but not coloured, for about 4-5 mins. Tip in rice and cook for 1 min more. Pour over stock. Cover and place in the oven for 20 mins, stirring halfway.
• When rice is just tender and all liquid is absorbed, remove from oven and stir in peas. Place back in oven for 2 mins more. Remove and stir in cheese. Add zest and season.

COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP (SCOTTISH CHICKEN AND LEEK SOUP)

Steps:

• Season chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Set chicken aside while prepping the other ingredients.
• Put leek greens, carrot peels, celery leaves, garlic, parsley stems, thyme, bay leaf and star anise at bottom of a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the peppercorns, and pour in 8 cups cold water, or enough to just submerge the chicken.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and partly cover the pot. Cook until chicken is cooked through and very tender, 45 to 55 minutes.
• While the chicken cooks, thickly slice 3 of the leek whites into 1/2-inch coins. Thinly slice the remaining leek white; set thinly and thickly sliced leeks aside separately.
• When the chicken is tender, using tongs, transfer to a large bowl or plate to cool. Strain the broth into a large bowl, discarding vegetables and herbs.
• Wipe out the Dutch oven and return it to medium-high heat. Add butter, letting it melt. Add the thick leek coins (save the thinly sliced leek for garnish), a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer leek whites to a bowl (they can go on top of the chicken if there's room).
• Pour broth back into the pot. Bring broth to a brisk simmer, and stir in barley, carrots and celery. Let broth simmer uncovered until the liquid is reduced by a third, and the barley and vegetables are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
• While the broth is simmering, use a fork or your fingers to shred chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding skin and bones.
• Once the barley and vegetables are tender, stir in shredded chicken, sautéed leek whites and the prunes, and simmer for another 5 minutes to allow the prunes to soften (some might disintegrate). Taste and add salt, if needed. To serve, garnish with thinly sliced leek whites and parsley leaves.

LEEK & BACON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Keep the stock hot in a saucepan. Heat the oil in another large pan and fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Stir in the leeks and soften for 5-7 mins. Add the rice and cook for 1 min. Pour in the wine and keep stirring until it is absorbed. Add the stock, one ladle at a time, stirring and waiting for the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Continue for about 20 mins until the rice is just cooked and the risotto has a creamy consistency. Season, then stir through the bacon along with most of the Parmesan and chives, saving a little of each to scatter over before serving.

COCK-A-LEEKIE

Steps:

• Place chicken stock in a large saucepan and place over high heat to bring to a boil. Meanwhile, set aside a large bowl of ice water. When stock is boiling, add leeks and poach for 2 minutes. Remove with tongs and place in ice water until cool, then drain.
• Add star anise and chicken pieces to broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is just done, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken and anise to a bowl and add enough hot broth to just cover; set aside. Return remaining broth to high heat and reduce to 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Meanwhile, in a medium pan of lightly salted water, boil red potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add prunes and cream to reduced broth. Boil until prunes are soft and sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add leeks and continue to cook until leeks are lightly browned, another 5 minutes. Transfer bacon and leeks to paper towels to drain; keep warm.
• Season sauce with salt to taste. Drain potatoes and toss with mint. Drain chicken (broth may be reserved for another use), discarding star anise. To serve, place chicken on a plate, ladle with prune sauce, and top with leeks and bacon. Add potatoes and serve.

COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan until hot. Fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden brown, then remove and set aside. Add the bacon, carrots, celery and leek tops, and fry for 5 mins until it all starts to brown. Pour off any excess fat.
• Splash in the wine and boil rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken pieces with the herbs and add enough cold water to cover. Slowly bring to the boil, then simmer for 40 mins until the chicken is tender.
• Remove the chicken to a plate, cover with foil and leave to cool slightly. Strain the soup into a clean saucepan and discard all the other ingredients. Leave to stand for a few mins and skim off any fat that rises to the top. Pull the meat from the chicken bones and tear into large chunks.
• Simmer the soup with the chicken, leeks and prunes for another 20-30 mins. Season to taste and serve with really good bread.