Ingredients:

-25gunsalted butter
-1 free-range chicken
-500g leeks
-100g. Ayrshire bacon rashers, thinly sliced
-2 litres of chicken stock
-1 Teaspoonful of chopped tarragon
-salt and freshly ground black pepper
-8 soaked prunes, stoned and halved
-Chopped parsley garnish

Instructions:

- Melt the butter in a largepot and fry the chicken on all sides, turning occasionally until lightly brownall over.

- Roughly chop the white part of the leeks andadd to the pot. Add sliced bacon. Fry for about 5 minutes, until the leeks aretender.

- Pour in the chicken stock and add thetarragon. Finely chop the remaining green parts of the leek and add these too.

- Cover and simmer for 1 hour, topping upwith water or more stock if necessary.

- Season the soup to taste and add theprunes. Cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes.