Wild Mushroom Stock Food

WILD MUSHROOM STOCK

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Place the dried mushrooms in a medium heat-proof bowl; pour the boiling water over mushrooms. Let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into another bowl, reserving liquid and mushrooms separately. Set aside.
• In a medium stockpot, cook butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the reserved mushrooms along with the carrots, parsnips, and celery; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened and fragrant, about 20 minutes.
• Stir Swiss chard into vegetable mixture in pot. Add 3 1/2 quarts cold water, reserved mushroom liquid (being careful to leave behind any sediment), bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Cover pot, and bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, about 1 hour.
• Remove pot from heat, and strain mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander into a large heatproof bowl or saucepan, pressing down on vegetables with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Store stock in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 6 months.

WILD MUSHROOM STOCK

Steps:

• Place an 8-quart or (preferably) larger casserole or stockpot over high heat, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they soften and release their liquid. Continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown; it may take about 45 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the onions and celery and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the parsley, thyme and black peppercorns and about 7 quarts of water (should be just enough to cover). Simmer for 45 minutes and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. Cool, cover and refrigerate; may be frozen for up to 3 months.

CREAM OF WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if they are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
• To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.
• Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

MUSHROOM STOCK

Steps:

• Pour just enough water into the stockpot to start the onions cooking. Add the onion, leek top, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and salt. Give the vegetables a stir, then cover the pot and cook gently over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cover with 9 cups cold water. Bring the stock to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Pour the stock through a strainer, pressing as much liquid as you can from the vegetables, then discard them.

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-SHALLOT GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine oil, shallots and garlic in small glass baking dish. Cover dish with foil. Bake until shallots and garlic are very tender and pale golden, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. Thinly slice shallots and garlic; reserve oil in dish. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)
• Transfer 1 tablespoon oil from baking dish to heavy large saucepan. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, sage, and roasted shallots and garlic to saucepan; sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add Marsala and Sherry; boil until syrupy, about 6 minutes. Add stock; boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add cream; boil until mixture thickens to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.

POLISH WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Cover mushrooms with cold water and soak overnight.
• Drain the mushrooms reserving the soaking liquid, strain the liquid through a fine cloth.
• Rinse the mushrooms in cold water to remove any remaining sand then slice into strips.
• Add the mushrooms, 8 cups of of the beef stock and the soaking liquid to a 3 quart saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over low heat 4 hours.
• Melt the butter in a heavy skillet, add the onion, sauté until golden brown then add to the soup.
• Whisk the cornstarch with the remaining cup of beef stock, add to the soup, stir and simmer until slightly thickened.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, ladle into individual bowls, top each with 1 tbs sour cream and sprinkle with parsley.

CREAM OF WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
• To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot.
• Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
• Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.
• Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks.
• Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown.
• Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Tip the wine and mushrooms into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to soak until cool, about 20 mins. Strain through a sieve over a bowl to reserve the wine, pressing the mushrooms with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Set the rehydrated mushrooms aside. Return the wine to the pan and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and keep on a high heat until reduced by half, about 15 mins. Pour in the cream, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half again, about 10 mins.
• Meanwhile, finely chop the mushrooms. Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until just golden. Carefully add the brandy and sizzle briefly, then squeeze in the lemon juice, remove from the heat and set aside. Stir the mushroom mixture into the reduced cream sauce along with any juices from the frying pan, then season. Will keep chilled for up to three days.