Wild Mushroom Soup

(not that kind of mushroom)

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We needed a soup for the Merlot tasting we held and this was the one. It takes a while to make it and Tom worked his fingers to the bone chopping the 'shrooms. However the taste is wonderful. Stephanie has been after me to get the recipe, but I had lost it somewhere. Then last week Angela was looking for another recipe and said, "why don't you make this? It looks good." Low and behold, the lost mushroom soup was found! This recipe comes from Tavern on the Green in Central Park, New York as cited in the cookbook Restaurant Secrets of Sacramento ... and other Great Places, 1999 Edition.

For the chicken broth I use the Swanson big cans or the new, neat boxes.

2 cups shiitake mushrooms
2 cups Portobello mushrooms
4 cups crimini mushrooms
1 cup regular white button mushrooms
2 large onions
2 heads fennel
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 russet potatoes
1 quart chicken broth
1 bunch fresh thyme
1/4 cup garlic
salt and pepper
black truffle oil - available at Draegers, Gene's Quito Market, and other upscale markets
Porcini powder - if you can find it, I couldn't.

Heat oven to 350.

Clean and remove the stems from the mushrooms. Keep the stems. Slice the crimini and regular mushrooms. Slice the fennel, keep the tops. Slice the onion. Coarsely chop the garlic.

In a big soup pot, over medium heat, sauté the onions, fennel, regular and crimini mushrooms in the unsalted butter. Don't let the mixture brown until the fennel is tender.

While the sauté is underway, slice the portobello and shitake mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl and toss with the oil, salt, pepper, thyme and chopped garlic. Place all on a baking sheet one layer thick and place in the oven until they are golden brown. This takes a while, but keep your eye on them so they don't turn dark brown. Turn them once when the top side is starting to brown.

In a medium pot place the mushroom stems and fennel top. Add the chicken stock. Heat over medium for about 10 minutes - don't let it boil. Remove the fennel tops and turn off the heat.

Peel the potatoes and slice thinly.

When the mushrooms in the oven (remember them?) are ready, remove them from the oven. Discard the thyme and garlic. Put the mushrooms into the soup pot and add the potatoes. Pour the chicken stock over it all. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are done.

Remove from the stove. Place small batches of the soup in a blender and puree. As the batches are done, pour into a tureen. Add salt and pepper as needed. Drizzle a little, tiny bit of truffle oil in each bowl and dust with porcini powder.

Prepare to enter Heaven.

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Last Updated: 10/13/09