Serves 6

A very ancient dish which is surprisingly delicious and beautiful. Apologies to the Scottish for the suggestion of adding truffles at the end, but it is an elegant way of quelling the sometimes overwhelming "leekiness" of leeks.
Use stock made from the chicken carcass of a previous meal for a heightened chicken flavour.

Ingredients

500g brisket of beef
Fresh chicken stock or water
1 chicken, 1.3 kg - 1.8 kg
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced into 1/2" rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g ready-to-eat prunes
Optional: 1 black or white truffle, or a little truffle oil

Method

Put the beef into a large pan, cover with water or stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1½ hours.
Add the whole chicken and simmer for another hour and a half. By this time the chicken and the beef should the tender.
Ten minutes before you serve, add the prunes.
Five minutes before you serve, add the leeks, so that they remain freshly green.

Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Remove the beef from the pan, slice thinly and keep warm.
Carve the chicken from the bone.
Serve in bowls with a slice of beef and some chicken with the leek and prunes in their broth ladled over the top.

Scatter a few shavings of truffle, or a few drops of truffle oil, on to the soup.
Eat immediately with lots of good bread.