Best Puffball Mushroom Soup Food

FRIED PUFFBALL MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 225, or to a warm setting.
• Mix the flour with the salt. If you can grind the salt in a spice grinder to make it fine, do it.
• If you haven't already, slice off the root end of the puffball and inspect for any bug damage, the flesh of the mushroom should be perfectly white, not at all greenish-yellow.
• Using a long, sharp slicing knife, slice the puffball into 1/2 inch or so slices. Liberally coat the mushroom slices in flour, then tap off the excess and dip them in beaten egg, then the panko breadcrumbs. Heat a generous amount of oil in a pan (1/4-1/2 a cup should be good depending on the size of your mushroom slices and the size of your pan) on medium heat. When the oil is hot and a breadcrumb sizzles in it, add the puffball slices and cook until golden brown on each side. Watch the heat, and increase or decrease it slightly, keeping an eye on the mushrooms so you don't burn them.
• Pay close attention to the amount of oil in the pan, the breadcrumbs are going to soak up oil, and you don't to let the pan get dry, think of it like a shallow deep-fry. If the pan gets dry, add more oil.
• Once the mushrooms are browned, place them in the warm oven on a cookie sheet with a resting rack to prevent the heat from being trapped and steaming the crispy crust until you're done with the rest.
• When the mushrooms are all fried, sprinkle them lightly with some nice salt if you have, or just kosher salt, dress the arugula or other greens with the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN'S CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms in butter with 1 pinch salt until the mushrooms give off their juices; reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired. Mix onion into mushrooms and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.
• Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Tie thyme sprigs into a small bundle with kitchen twine and add to mushroom mixture; add garlic cloves. Pour chicken stock and water into mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove thyme bundle.
• Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick.
• Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and black pepper and serve in bowls, garnished with reserved mushroom slices and a few thyme leaves.

BEST EVER MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• dice onion small.
• clean and halve mushrooms.
• fry onion in the butter and oil for 2 minutes.
• add mushrooms for a further 4 minutes.
• sprinkle flour into pan and stir well to remove lumps.
• add half of the stock.
• stir and scrape cooked flour off bottom until thickening.
• add half the milk stirring all the time.
• continue to add stock and milk in turn until all added.
• adjust seasoning and add plenty of pepper.
• simmer very gently for 20 minutes.