Cream of Mushroom Soup

Submitted by Tuck Burnette

"This recipe uses two mushrooms, dried porcini, and button mushroom, sliced. If you can get your hands on them, a few fresh porcini (which, are almost available, in this country), sliced, and deep fried, in a mixture of canola and olive oil, will make an exquisite garnish. It is verily important to make the soup overnight, allow it to chill, and then pull the fat off before serving. The fat (and cream, that comes with it), pulled from the soup, can be chilled, several days, and, at some point, used, for sautéing, or dressing vegetables, it tastes excellent, but is, however, in any case, innapropriate, for leaving on the top of the soup. Do not do it."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 40mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 ounce dried funghi porcini
• 1 cup warm water
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1 medium-large yellow onion, diced
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• 1 lb button mushroom, sliced
• 1⁄4 cup marsala or 1/4 cup sherry wine
• dried sage (big pinch)
• paprika
• cayenne
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1⁄4 cups heavy cream

directions

1. Put the dried mushrooms into a bowl or container, pour over, the warm water, cover loosely, and set aside 30 minutes.
2. Melt the butter with the onions in a soup pot, and season with a large pinch of salt.
3. Cook at medium or medium--high until lightly softened. Add the mushrooms, stir well, and cook to incorporate. Let simmer, covered lightly, while juices develop. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Season again with salt, if needed.
4. Remove cover, and cook until onions and mushroom develop a strong, golden color, and some on pot, stirring often, it may take 15 minutes.
5. Add Marsala and reduce. Add sage, paprika, and cayenne, it can have a lot of cayenne, or just a little.
6. Strain mushrooms and chop. Add to the soup. Strain in the mushroom soaking liquid. Reduce fully, stirring a few times, after adding to the soup.
7. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to the simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft, and the mixture is flavorful.
8. Purée the soup in a food mill, a food proscessor, using an immersion blender, or through the small holes of a meat grinder, the latter of these is my favorite.
9. Return soup to pot. Add cream, brining just to simmer. Remove from heat, bring completely to room temperature, cover and chill overnight, or for 10 hours.
10. The next day, retrieve the soup, and remove all the fat. Bring back to the simmer, delicately, before serving, accompany with a garnish.