Cock-a-Leekie Soup

We had Chris Marcott, Fran, Jacki, MaryLynn, Elizabeth & Floyd, Nick Piotrowski, Self, Roderick and his sister, Jenny (who, in passing, is *such* an odd creature) to our place on the corner of Warren and Thompson. . . With soup one can always have company because soup feeds an army. This is my version of a British classic, and is a crowd pleaser. . . I decided the name was enough reason to work with this recipe and the test-group liked it.


3 Strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 whole chicken, quartered and skinned
3 leeks, sliced on the diagonal
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
3 cloved garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
2 fists full button mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 stick butter
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 c. white wine, (Louis Jadot 2001 chardonnay preferred)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 soup cans of chicken stock
1 soup can of beef stock
4 medium parsnips, scrubbed and thinly sliced

Simmer all in a pot for the afternoon on low flame, pull and bone chicken when tender, discard bones, return meat to pot and serve.
SPM