Wild Mushroom And Sherry Bisque Food

MUSHROOM BISQUE

Steps:

• In a 2-quart pot, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add mushrooms and onions and bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cover for at least 1 hour.
• Roux:
• In a separate large pot, melt the butter, then add the flour. Whisk until evenly incorporated. Continue to whisk while slowly adding half-and-half to the roux. Add bay leaf and stir constantly until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
• Add the mushroom broth to the roux and stir until evenly incorporated. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce, to taste. Serve immediately.

WILD MUSHROOM BISQUE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in the soup pot, add onion and leeks and celery, allow to caramelize over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the salt, garlic and thyme and saute 3 more minutes.
• Add the wine, raise the heat and reduce for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook them with the onion mixture over medium-low heat for 6 minutes, stirring part way through cooking. Pour in the soaked mushrooms, stock and add tofu. Taste and add more sea salt, if necessary. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove thyme branches. Let the soup cool slightly and then puree in the blender to make a smooth creamy soup.
• Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley, Sauteed mushrooms, and a spoonful of tofu sour cream if you are feeling decadent.
• Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 cup hot water and set aside. Heat the olive oil in the soup pot and add the onions to caramelize. When they have turned a deep brown add the remaining vegetables, herbs, garlic, sea salt and saute an additional 3 minutes (add a little liquid if necessary). Add the dried porcini and their soaking liquid plus 9 cups cold water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes uncovered. Strain the stock through a fine mesh colander.
• Use as is or return it to the stove to reduce and intensify the flavor. A general rule of thumb: it takes about 15 minutes at a slow boil to reduce the volume of liquid by one cup. Yield: 6 to 8 cups

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP WITH SHERRY

Steps:

• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, shallots, onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add all mushrooms and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add white wine and Sherry. Boil until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 6 minutes.
• Mix remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup flour in small bowl until smooth paste forms. Add flour paste to mushroom mixture in pot; stir until mixture melts and coats vegetables. Gradually mix in stock. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mushrooms are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender or processor until smooth. Return soup to pot. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before serving.) Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

OYSTER BISQUE WITH MUSHROOMS AND WILD RICE

Steps:

• Rinse oysters thoroughly in cold water to remove the sand and drain, reserving as much oyster liquor as possible. Also strain out sandy particles or pieces of shell that might be present in the liquor.
• Place dehydrated mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with boiling water and let stand for 30 minutes. (Since the dehydrated mushrooms can be a bit spendy, I just purchase a small package of mixed wild mushrooms that include porcinis). To remove any sand that might be present, strain liquid through a cheese cloth and reserve the liquid. Chop the rehydrated mushrooms finely.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, rehydrated mushrooms, thyme, and nutmeg until vegetables are soft and translucent. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until well incorporated and allow flour to brown slightly. (I probably use at least 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Chef Sarah calls for a "pinch.").
• Gradually add in the reserved mushroom liquid, fish stock, oyster juices, and sherry. (If you do not have fish stock, use bottled clam juice. But it is easy to make using fish heads, fish bone trimmings, onion, and celery. Although salmon heads can be used for some types of stock, I prefer to use heads from white fish, like cod or snapper.) Simmer soup base uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the soup is simmering, slice the button mushrooms and chop remaining fresh mushrooms. Then saute in 2 tablespoons of butter. Although Chef Sarah only uses button mushroom and oyster mushrooms, I prefer to add other types of fresh mushrooms. I have noted from other recipes that oyster mushrooms are usually a substitute for Hen of the Woods mushrooms, but the latter have such an intensely earthy flavor and an interesting texture.
• Also while soup is simmering prepare wild rice according to package directions.
• Once base has simmered long enough to get all the flavors married, add the light cream. Then puree with an immersion blender. (Chef Sarah also purees the oyster mushrooms in with the base, but I would rather leave them chopped with the other fresh mushrooms).
• Add in sauteed fresh mushrooms, 1 1/2 cups of prepared wild rice, and oysters. Heat thoroughly to blend the flavors and cook until the edges of the oysters curl slightly. Adjust flavors with salt, pepper, and additional sherry. Serve at once, garnished with chopped parsley or thyme leaves and a splash of sherry in each bowl.
• Note: To prepare according to cookbook recipe, use only oyster mushrooms and button mushrooms. Finely chop the oyster mushrooms, so they can be pureed in with the base. Then combine sliced button mushrooms, oysters, and wild rice and complete as above. Also recipe from cookbook uses cream sherry and heavy cream instead of light cream.

WILD MUSHROOM BISQUE

Steps:

• Make a mushroom stock by sautéing the mushrooms, onions, leeks, and garlic in ½ lb butter over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
• Add chicken stock, parsley stems, thyme, black pepper and bay leaves and simmer over medium heat for 1.5 hours.
• Let 1 lb butter stand at room temperature until soft and then mix butter with 1 lb flour to make a Buerre Manie.
• Strain the mushroom stock after 1 ½ hours cooking time, press on the ingredients to get all the juices and flavor out.
• In a large pot combine the mushroom stock and cream, and bring to a simmer.
• Add the Buerre Manie a little at a time to thicken the soup, this should be done off the heat.
• Add about ¾ of the flour mixture, blending very well.
• Return to the heat and slowly bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• If the soup needs to be thicker add a little more of the Buerre Manie to adjust.
• Add Cognac and Madeira to finish.
• Sauté 2 lbs crabmeat in 3 oz butter and add to the soup.
• Sauté the 1 lb of Shiitake mushrooms in 3 oz butter and add to the soup.
• Serve to 20 very happy people!

WILD MUSHROOM BISQUE

Steps:

• In a soup pot, sweat the onions, mushrooms and leeks in butter on medium heat until translucent.
• Add flour and cook until tan and nutty smelling.
• Add chicken stock; simmer for 1 hour on low heat.
• If desired, reserve 1 scoop of mushrooms to garnish soup with.
• Puree soup in a blender and return to soup pot. An immersion blender can be used to puree the soup in the soup pot itself.
• Add cream, half and half and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter to finish.
• Add fresh salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir well and heat thoroughly.
• Garnish with reserved mushrooms, chopped fresh chives and drizzle with lemon-infused olive oil (optional).

WILD MUSHROOM BISQUE

Steps:

• Soak porcini in warm water until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, squeeze gently, chop coarsely, and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add oil, shallots, garlic, onion, and leeks; cook until soft, about 20 minutes.
• Add all mushrooms except porcini and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly soft. Season lightly and add leaves of 1 thyme sprig. Add turnips, apple, and bay leaf and cover with stock (you may not use it all). Simmer for 30 minutes, adding porcini in the last 10. Remove from heat.
• Remove bay leaf and puree soup in a food processor in small batches. Place in a clean pot and reheat gently.
• Add Madeira, cream, and remaining thyme leaves. Add more stock if soup is too thick. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warm bowls with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chives.