# Could I sneak prune juice into cock-a-leekie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003 "2007-09-30T02:45:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003/1 "2007-09-30T02:45:24Z")
I know that if I served chicken soup with prunes floating in it, they’d say \*\* “why the Hell did you put prunes in here?”\*\* It would either be seen as (a) something weird I “invented” like my beef stroganoff pie, or (b) a pre-existing recipe I deliberately looked up for its weirdness. Either way, sometimes there’s a fine line between a culinary challenge and a politeness challenge, and I don’t want to make either of those issues preoccupy their minds to the detriment of their tastebud’s sensations. But I know that there’s a good reason someone once put prunes in chicken soup: it tasted good. What if I used that flavor addition, but kept it my little secret? Would it still be cock-a-leekie? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003/2 "2007-09-30T02:49:55Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Would it still be cock-a-leekie? [/QUOTE] If you put too much in it would be arse-a-leakie. Actually, I wonder if that’s true. Prunes – which I like – don’t have that effect on me. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003/3 "2007-09-30T02:53:22Z")
Well, I guess I could counter that with a selection of cheeses. Not too expensive, but still it might effect a costive living increase. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003/4 "2007-09-30T02:56:47Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] costive living [/QUOTE] I’m going to steal that. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003/5 "2007-09-30T15:37:31Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Would it still be cock-a-leekie? [/QUOTE] [Probably.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cock-a-leekie) > [@](#): > > The original recipe added prunes during cooking, and traditionalists still garnish with a julienne of prunes. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003/6 "2007-09-30T19:09:46Z")
**Why** do you want to put prunes in chicken soup in the first place? Prune juice is the most vile thing I’ve ever been made to drink and has a very strong taste, so I’m not sure what place it has in soup. It might just be me, but IMHO the juice has a _much_ stronger taste than prunes do themselves (prunes aren’t great, but aren’t vile either). Less is more, if you insist on putting it in the soup. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003/7 "2007-09-30T19:21:03Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin477] Prune juice is the most vile thing I’ve ever been made to drink and has a very strong taste [/QUOTE] A warrior’s drink! ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-sneak-prune-juice-into-cock-a-leekie/421003/8 "2007-09-30T19:25:18Z")
If you wanted to stick with a more savory flavor profile instead of the sweetness that prunes would add, you might want to add some Asian pickled plums ([Umeboshi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umeboshi)). It might be an interesting addition and you could call it Pacific Rim Cock a Leekie. Interestingly, it seems a traditional cold cure in Japan is rice porridge with Umeboshi, just like Mom’s Chicken soup. Add them to Cock a leekie and you might have a Double Strong, Super Healthy, Ultra Happy soup.