Bob’s Cream of Chanterelle Soup
Recipe Courtesy of Bob Wolfe.
3 pounds fresh chaterelles
3 medium carrots
1 large leek
4 ribs of celery
6 fourteen-ounce cans of fat free chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup of heavy cream
1 stick plus one T butter
1/4 cup all pourpose flour
3 T fresh minced flat leaf parsleyThis is a killer cream soup that has a very intense mushroom flavor and a rich texture. It’s a great way to use all those chanterelles from yesterday’s foray! The key to the intense flavor is the mushroom stock made in the first three steps, which becomes the base of the soup.
1. Take take two pounds of the best mushrooms and slice the stems off to within an inch or two of the cap. Set the caps aside. Combine the remaining pound of mushrooms with the stems and chop very finely with a knife or food processor.
2. Roughly chop the carrots, celery and leek. Add vegetables plus the finely chopped mushrooms and stems to a large pot, and add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Strain the stock through a fine metal strainger to another container to remove all the bits. Use a firm spoon to press the chopped mushrooms against the sides of the strainer to squeeze out all the liquid possible (push hard!). Discard the boiled-up veggies and mushrooms, put the resulting stock in your big soup pot, and set aside.
4. Slice or roughly chop the remaining two pounds of prime chanterelle caps.
5. In a large saute pan, melt a stick of butter over medium high heat. When it starts to sizzle, add two tablespoons all purpose flour and stir continuously until the flour is saturated with butter, a couple of seconds. Continue adding flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring continuously, until the mixture will not absorb any more flour and the mixture forms a ball — a quarter cup or so of flour total. Using a ladle, add one cup of the stock to the mixture (roux) in the saute pan, and stir continuously. As the liquid is absorbed, keep adding more liquid, up to three or four cups worth, and stir continuously until you have a smooth, lump-free gravy. Add this mixture to the soup pot that has the stock, and keep on medium heat.
6. Dry saute the sliced mushrooms until they are reduced in volume by about half. Add one tablespoon butter to the mushrooms, saute for another 2 minutes, and then add to the stock pot.
7. Add the cream to the stockpot, still over medium heat, and mix well. Lower the heat simmer the soup for an hour, or until desired thickness is reached. If it is too thin, make another roux with one tablespoon flour and one tablespoon butter as in step 5, and add the resulting gravy back to the soup pot. If it is too thick, add additional stock or milk to reach desired consistency.
8. Take about 1/3 of the soup from the pot, mushrooms and all, and puree it in a blender until smooth. Add back to the soup, mix well. 8. Adjust salt level, and add black or white pepper if desired. Toss in the finely chopped fresh parsley, and serve with a fresh, crusty baquette and some Oregon pinot noir.