Mushroom & Potato Soup
a handful of dried mushrooms
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds assorted fresh mushrooms such as shitake, crimini, baby portobello, lion’s mane, or
morels washed and sliced
2. shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 1/2 pounds small gold potatoes washed and quartered
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup heavy cream or half & half
pinch sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
PAIRED WITH: Three Hills Cuvée Chardonnay
Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl of warm water and soak them for a minimum of 30 minutes leave them in the water bath for a few hours, if time permits.
In a small stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots along with a dash of salt and sauté until the mushrooms begin to soften and brown, for 8-10 minutes. Squeeze the liquid from the dried mushrooms and add them along with the garlic. Continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the flour and cook until it begins to brown and evenly coats the mushroom mixture. Add the white wine to deglaze the stockpot, scrape down the sides and bottom of the pot to loosen the browned bits.
Add the chicken stock, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, then bring to a boil.
After 10 minutes, add the potatoes and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream. Use an immersion blender to puree half the soup, until it is thick and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can ladle half the soup into a blender and pulse until it is smooth. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
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