Governor Tom Ridges Fresh Mushroom Soup For Thanksgiving Food

GOVERNOR TOM RIDGE'S FRESH MUSHROOM SOUP FOR THANKSGIVING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and saute the onions and sugar slowly until golden - about 30-45 minutes.
• Gently clean the mushrooms with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Slice 1/3 of the mushrooms and finely chop the rest.
• Add all mushrooms to the onions and saute for 5 minutes.
• Stir in flour until smooth and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Pour in water and stir until smooth.
• Add chicken broth, vermouth and salt and heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• This can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. Reheat, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes.

THANKSGIVING STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• For the mushrooms: If the mushroom caps are very rounded, trim a very thin slice from the top of the caps to help them sit upright for baking. Toss the mushroom caps with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
• For the filling: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems, celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl, season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and set aside to cool.
• Add the mozzarella, sausage, cranberries, sage and thyme to the cooled mushroom stem mixture. Stir in the cornbread until well moistened.
• Pack each mushroom with an equal amount of filling and transfer the filled mushrooms to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is brown and crispy on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• In a large stockpot over high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they are tender and release their liquid. Continue to cook until water evaporates and the mushrooms begin to color, another 20 to 30 minutes.
• When mushrooms start to become golden brown, reduce heat to low and add onion, leeks and garlic. Season with 2 teaspoons of the salt and sweat until onions and leeks start to become translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add the Madeira and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan. Reduce until the pan is almost dry. Add mushroom stock and simmer until all vegetables are soft and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add milk.
• Purée the soup using an immersion blender, or allow the soup to cool until no longer steaming and transfer to blender to purée. Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl and season with remaining teaspoon of salt or to taste. If desired, thin the soup with additional mushroom stock. Serve hot.

FRESH MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine broth and dry milk. Set aside.
• Heat margarine in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and both chopped and sliced mushrooms. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes.
• Uncover and adjust temperature to high. Allow moisture to evaporate.
• Stir in flour.
• With a wire whisk, blend chicken broth and milk mixture into mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil.
• Add sherry, lemon rind, parsley and lemon juice.
• Stir to mix well. Serve hot.

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.

MUSHROOM SOUP (SOUPE AUX CHAMPIGNONS)

Steps:

• Melt half of the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring often, about two minutes. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice and stir. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle the mushroom mixture with flour and stir to coat evenly. Add the broth and stir. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes.
• Pour and scrape the mixture into the container of a food processor. Process to a fine puree. Return the mixture to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Swirl in the remaining two tablepoons of butter and add a generous grinding of pepper. Add the wine and serve hot.

MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onions and garlic until soft but not browned, about 8-10 mins.
• Add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat for another 3 mins until softened. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken stock, bring the mixture to the boil, then add the bay leaf and simmer for another 10 mins.
• Remove and discard the bay leaf, then remove the mushroom mixture from the heat and blitz using a hand blender until smooth. Gently reheat the soup and stir through the cream (or, you could freeze the soup at this stage - simply stir through the cream when heating). Scatter over the parsley, if you like, and serve.

MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 5 cups very hot water until soft, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. When they are tender, remove mushrooms from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid; slice or chop if the pieces are large.
• Meanwhile, put the butter in a large pot that can later be covered over medium heat. When it melts, add the herb, onions and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium high, and add the fresh mushrooms; add the soaked mushrooms when they're ready. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and begun to brown, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the sherry or Madeira to the pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom as the liquor starts to bubble. Add the stock or soaking liquid and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer and cook, covered, until flavors have melded, about 15 minutes.
• Discard the herb. Reduce the heat to low, and purée the liquid with a hand-held mixer to desired consistency. (I like it half-puréed.) Add the cream if you're using it; stir to combine and let simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; garnish with parsley and serve.

MUSHROOM SOUP WITH GINGER

Steps:

• Chop half of the mushrooms.
• Put stock in a saucepan, add the chopped mushrooms, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree the mixture in a food processor or a blender, then force through a sieve back into the saucepan.
• Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Saute the mushroom caps along with the scallions, garlic and fresh ginger over high heat until lightly browned. Stir in the ground ginger. Add the contents of the skillet to the saucepan.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat and serve, garnished with coriander.