[Sca-cooks] Re: Cock-a-leekie soup reference

[johnna holloway]

Regarding Cock-a-leekie as a name for a soup
from Scotland containing chicken and leeks,
according to:
Traditional Foods of Britain. An Inventory by
Laura mason and Catherine Brown. 1999

"Leeks are the dominant vegetable in cock-a-leekie,
a Scottish national dish. It is broth made with fowl
and leeks, first developed in the Lowlands. The
earliest known reference is in the Ochtertyre House Book
(c. 1737)." p. 62.

Catherine Brown's own work Scottish Cookery, 1985, 1999,
says:

"Griselle Baillie describes her Cock-a-Leekie as
'Chicken soup with chickens in it..." Griselle's
household books date from 1692-1733.

The earliest recipe according again to Catherine Brown
in A Year in a Scots Kitchen, 1996, is that of Meg Dods
who is the fictional author of The Cook and Housewife's
Manual which was first published in 1826.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Scots served soups or
broths with chickens in them prior to 1600, but it's also
apparently clear that the term itself didn't arise until
at best the late 17th or early 18th centuries.
I don't believe that one can stretch the term back to say
that Mary Queen of Scots was responsible for it.

We know a great deal more about the history of actual Scottish
foods now than we did say 20 or 25 years ago. Catherine Brown
is the lady behind much of that research.

Johnnae llyn Lewis  Johnna Holloway

------------------------------
Michael Gunter wrote:
>
> I got this question and there are some interesting
> items. One is "Cock-a-Leekie" being dated to Elizabeth.
> I figure that Cock-a-Leekie soup would be considered
> a porridge if it were thicker. There are some references
> to sops and such with just meat and onions which is
> basically all this is. But does anyone know of a period
> reference to it? The earliest I've found is Victorian.
>
> Also, what is this "ma-leachi"? I don't know Scottish
> so it could be a reference to that.
>
> Thanks for the help,
>
> Gunthar
>
> >From: Sarah Lynn <sarah at rocinante.com>
> >To: countgunthar at hotmail.com
> >Subject: Fwd: Cock-a-leekie soup reference
> >Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 09:36:54 -0700
> >
> >
> >>Gunther dear, cab you shed any light on this subject???????
> >>
> >>Dear Lady Sarah
> >>
> >>I am attempting to find whether there are period references to
> >>cock-a-leekie soup. I came across a reference to the dish being a
> >>favourite of Mary Queen of Scots, in an Atenveldt newsletter. I wrote
> >>to Lady Eden Blacksmith, whose name was given as the newsletter
> >>contact. Lady Blacksmith was helpful, giving me the details of
> >>several Scottish cookbooks, as well as an interesting website. She
> >>also suggested that I contact you in this regard. I would really like
> >>to track down a documentable reference to Mary Queen of Scots, also I
> >>am interested in the term "ma-leachi", which I have not been able to
> >>find in any other context.
> >>
> >>Could you pelase help me? I'd appreciate any help you could give.
> >>
> >>Thank you for your time
> >>
> >>Sister Mairi Jean
>