Wild Mushroom Soup With Chestnuts And Roasted Fennel Food

THE BEST ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F.
• Pick 2 tablespoons of the tender green fronds from the tops of the fennel bulbs and set aside. Cut the remaining top and bottom from each fennel bulb, then cut the bulb in half lengthwise through the core. Use the tip of the knife to cut an upside-down "V" on the bottom of each bulb to remove most of the core, leaving just enough so the bulb stays intact. Cut each half through the core into wedges, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Add the fennel bulb, thyme, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a large bowl and toss until evenly coated. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast in the oven until the fennel is very tender and lightly browned in spots, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, top with the reserved fennel fronds and serve with the lemon wedges.

MUSHROOM SOUP WITH CHESTNUTS AND ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the fennel halves, cut-side up, in a baking dish and drizzle with enough olive oil to come up half-way; season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until completely tender - the roasted fennel is the base of the soup, so it's important the flesh is soft enough to be cut with a spoon.
• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium flame; add the onion and garlic, saute for 4 minutes until translucent. Toss the thyme into the pan, along with the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid. Add the chestnuts and cook for a few more minutes until they have some nice color on them. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture to save as a garnish for the soup.
• Pour the stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Remove from the heat and puree the soup until completely smooth, using a handheld or regular blender. Stir in the cream to make the soup even richer, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into soup bowls; garnish each serving with a bit of the reserved mushrooms and chestnuts, the roasted fennel, and a sprinkle of chopped chives.

CHESTNUTS AND WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet and slowly let the garlic get brown. Saute the Shiitake until soft (adding a spoonful of water if necessary so they don't burn). Add the chestnuts and saute just to reheat them and season well with salt and lots of ground black pepper.

REALLY WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Wash all the mushrooms in lukewarm water in a deep bowl. Mix the mushrooms well to loosen the dirt. Remove them from the water by hand, leaving the dirt in the bottom of the bowl. Repeat until there is no dirt. Remove the stems from the oyster and shiitake mushrooms, then slice all the mushrooms. Keep the domestic mushrooms separate from the other types.
• Heat an 8-quart sauce pot over moderately high heat. Add the olive oil, the domestic mushrooms, and the minced shallots, and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add the remaining mushrooms, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vermouth, and reduce for 5 minutes.
• Add the milk, fresh thyme, garlic, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the thyme sprig, and season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly, then puree in the blender.
• Meanwhile, quickly blanch the strips of black trumpet mushrooms in salted water. Cool and add to enoki mushrooms and chives.
• To serve, reheat the soup in a sauce pot or in the microwave. Divide the tossed Enoki and black trumpet mushrooms into 6 equal portions, and place them in the center of 6 bowls. Pour the soup into the bowls at the table, pouring over the mushroom mixture to heat it up.