Creamy Mushroom Soup- original recipe by Barry L. Kramer 06 Feb 2007
Like bisque, but not as thick. Easy and completely repeatable and very tasty!
Preparation time: I don't know yet. 2 days, sort of.
Cooking time: about 40 minutes
1.5 T shallots (about 1 whole small one), very finely chopped
2.5 T cooking onion (about half a small one), very finely chopped
1 lb. fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced thin
4 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 small portobello mushroom caps or equivalent larger one, cut into small dice
(these contribute a nice color; recommended but not required)
1.5 C light cream
1.5 C beef stock
1/2 C sherry (i.e. Fairbanks cocktail sherry)
2 T chicken base (i.e. Minor's chicken base)
1/8 t thyme
1/16 t cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
olive oil and butter for cooking
1. Prepare a batch of beef stock by boiling meaty soup bones in water and boiling
until meat is tender. Remove meat and bones; cover and refrigerate. Skim fat
off; discard. Liquid will be partially gelatinous when cold. It is acceptable
to use canned beef stock or beef base, but the final product might be a bit
salty.
2. Melt some butter (1-2 t) in a similar amount of olive oil in a pot that will hold the final recipe. Add mushrooms. Cook mushrooms in batches (like types together) until they become tan and soft; remove when done; cover with foil to keep warm. Add a little water if needed to prevent overbrowning and to deglaze pan. Repeat until done.
3. After all mushrooms are cooked, add shallot and onion to center of pan. Add a small amount of butter and some water and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Don't brown them, but get them soft. They won't cook much more beyond this.
4. While cooking the onions: In a saucepan, heat cream until hot (i.e. uncomfortable to the touch but not hotter than that).
5. When onions are soft, add remaining ingredients except the cream, repeated
here for convenience:
1.5 C beef stock (cold or warm, doesn't matter)
1/2 C sherry (i.e. Fairbanks cocktail sherry)
2 T chicken base (i.e. Minor's chicken base)
1/8 t thyme
1/16 t cayenne pepper
a sprinkle of fine ground black pepper
6. Heat until hot. Then add the hot cream and stir with a whisk. Add mushrooms back in; mix well.
7. Remove about 10 to 12 ounces of the soup and chop very briefly with a handheld electric blender (or a regular one). The mushrooms should be coarsely chopped, but not pureed. Return this ground mixture to the pan and mix.
8. Cover. Heat at very low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to boil it.
When reheating, microwave 15 to 30 seconds at a time and stir each interval
so as to not boil it. Reheats very well, and flavor improves the next day.