Recipe: Wild Mushroom Soup (with puff pastry dome variation)

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

"I LOVE THIS SOUP!!!!"

2 pounds fresh mushrooms (such as chanterelles, morels, porcini, or shiitakes)*
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts meat stock or canned beef broth, preferably low-salt type
2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram or thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried marjoram or thyme)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons dry sherry, or to taste
Minced fresh marjoram or thyme (for garnish)

Discard tough ends from mushrooms and stems. Clean the mushrooms with moist paper toweling. Coarsely chop or thin slice the mushrooms.

In a large soup pot or large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are soft and have released their moisture, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook, stirring for about 1 minute longer.

Add the stock or broth and bring soup to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, stir in marjoram or thyme, and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the sherry and ladle into preheated bowls, garnish with herb and serve immediately.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Alternatively, pour the finished soup into a container and refrigerate, uncovered until cool, then tightly cover and store as long as 3 days. Slowly reheat before garnishing and serving.

VARIATION:

TO SERVE THE SOUP UNDER A PUFF PASTRY DOME:
Cook the soup only about 10 minutes after adding stock and seasonings to the mushrooms; stir in the sherry, ladle into oven proof bowls, and chill . Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut rounds of puff pastry and slightly larger than diameter the bowls. Cover bowls and bring edges down over sides and press in to adhere to the bowl. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

*I sometime mix those cheap white mushrooms with the "good" ones to stretch them. Also I have put this through the blender (in parts) before serving and like as well.

Serves 6 as a soup course, or 3 or 4 as a main dish.
Source: James McNair's Soups by James McNair
From: Spaetzle2