Leeks turn up in all kinds of Irish recipes, but most commonly in soups and stews, and sometimes as a major ingredient. Brotchan foltchep is one of the oldest soups in which they appear, paired up with that other hardy northern crop, oats. Evidence of the popularity of this treatment may be suggested by the soup's other name, brotchan roy: "roy" seems to come from the old word for king, rí. A soup fit for kings, perhaps? or just fed to them? At this end of time, it's hard to tell. But the soup is hearty, tasty, chock full of vitamins and (as we now know) antioxidants -- something very positive and pleasant to be eating as winter turns toward spring.

Ingredients:

• 3 leeks
• 1 ounce butter
• 3 ounces flake oatmeal (rolled oats)
• 600 ml / 2 1/2 cups "white stock": vegetable stock, or if preferred, chicken stock
• 300 ml / 1 1/4 cups milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A pinch of mace
• Chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons single cream

Wash the leeks thoroughly and chop into chunks. (Save one chunk and slice into rings as a garnish, if liked: put these aside until the soup is done.)

Melt the butter gently in a saucepan, not allowing it to brown. Add the oatmeal and fry it in the butter, stirring until golden brown. Still stirring, pour in the stock and milk.

Add the chopped leeks, salt, pepper and mace. Bring to a boil; then lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the broth is thick. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, and then either liquidize the soup in a blender or with a "stick mixer", or push it through a sieve.

Reheat gently without allowing it to boil again. Stir in parsley: serve and garnish with a swirl of cream and / or the previously sliced bits of leek (or stir the cream in when the parsley is added). Plain white or brown soda bread on the side goes well with this.