Wild Mushroom Soup

Categories: Worrall tho, Worrall2
Yield: 6 servings

4 md Potatoes; peeled and diced
2 md Onions; peeled and sliced
1 Garlic clove; peeled and
-chopped
6 oz Selection of wild mushrooms;
-(girolles, shiitake,
; oyster, trompettes
; de la mort) or
; field mushrooms
1 1/2 pt Vegetable stock
1 1/2 pt Double cream
1/2 Dried ceps or parcini;
-soaked for at least
; 30 minutes in
; boiling water
2 Sprigs fresh thyme; (2 to 3)
6 fl A bottle of red wine
1 Bayleaf
1 1/2 oz Butter
1 1/2 pt Milk
Enoki mushrooms and fresh
-parsley to
; garnish

Heat a large heavy-base pan and add the butter and allow to sizzle. Add
onions and begin to stir. Add the thyme, bay leaf and garlic while you are
still stirring.

Cook the mixture for 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir. Then remove the
parcini from the water (remember to reserve the juices) and chop finely
then add it to the pan and cook for 1 minute.

Then stir the wild mushrooms and cook for another minute. Add the wine and
the parcini juices (not the gritty bits) and then the vegetable stock.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until it is enriched and all
the mushrooms are very tender.

Transfer the soup to the liquidizer/food processor only in batches, and
blend until it is smooth. Then pass the soup through a 'mouli' or sieve to
remove any of the stalks etc. Continue this until all of the soup is
sieved.

Place the cream in the liquidizer to pick up any fusty bits from the
machine. Return the soup and the cream to the pan and add milk to thin the
soup a little.

Stir well until it is all very well blended. Test and adjust seasoning.

To serve, ladle the soup into a warmed bowl and garnish with a few Enoki
mushrooms and the finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

-----

----------