| 1 1/2 cups pearl barley | 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (a little water is okay) |
| 2-4 leeks | 8 oz cooked chicken (=~ 3/4 lb uncooked) |
| 4-5 strips bacon |
Clean the leeks, and slice the white bits, up to the point where it starts getting green, but not the actual "leaves". Push through the disks, so you get lots of "rings" of leek. Toss into the stock, and bring it to a boil. Add the barley; return to a boil; then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting, cover, and cook for ~40 minutes.
While the barley is cooking, fry the bacon until quite crisp and dry on paper toweling. Crumble into the cooking barley, along with the chicken.
If barley begins to burn before it is time, remove from heat, and let it finish cooking under its own internal heat.
This is usually called a "soup", but this version definitely isn't -- it's a thick barley pottage.
Can be heated/kept warm in a Crockpot in one corner of the feast-hall.