1. Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring pot to a boil on high heat and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from the pot and rinse thoroughly under cold running water (especially the insides) then set aside. Discard the water and wash the pot thoroughly. These steps will make sure your stock is clean and you won’t be skimming scum from the top of your soup.
3. Return the chicken to the clean pot and cover once again with cold water. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, onion and herbs. Season with a generous pinch (all five fingers) of sea salt and a few twists of fresh ground black pepper.
4. Return the pot to the stove top and on a medium heat until it reaches a low simmer. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 1½ hours.
5. At the 1 hour mark, add the peeled potatoes and make sure they are fully submerged.
6. When ready, the chicken will easily break into pieces using tongs. Check for seasoning and serve chicken and vegetables into soup bowls and ladle over with the broth.
7. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve with Sourdough loaf or crusty baguette.

Options: Remove the chicken at the end, strip the meat from the frame and shred. Return shredded chicken to the soup and serve.