Wild Wild Wet

Cream of Mushrooms

Looking for a soup to go as part of your full menu or to have it solo, give mushrooms a go. I still miss those days when I used to hang out with Vero, Ashley and David in the 5^e at a restaurant called les champignons!!

serves 6

the soup

500g of wild mushrooms of your choice (brown and white button, portobello, girolles, etc)

30g butter

4 Italian shallots, finely chopped

500ml of chicken stock

300ml of cream

60ml of cream, whipped (optional)

the puff stick

1 package of puff pastry
olive oil
few sprigs of basil / thyme, chopped
bacon, pan-fried in small strips (optional)
parmasen, grated

• Wash, pat dry and slice all mushrooms.
• Stir fry shallots with olive oil in medium heat for 1-2 minutes, set aside.
• Saute all mushrooms in hot pan with butter and olive oil. Season them with sea salt and pepper. Reserve about 18 slices of mushrooms on the side for garnish. 
• Pour in chicken stock and cream into the shallots and mushrooms and bring to a boil then simmer for 12 – 16 minutes till the flavor intensified. Add a few cubes of butter in the soup as wished.
• Puree the mushroom mixture in a blender. Season to taste as needed.
• Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface into ½ cm thickness. Cut the pastry into 2cm wide strips. Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle sea salt, parmesan, chopped basil / thyme with or without pan-fried bacon bits on top. Twist the pastry strips till it comes to a look of a spat. Bake in the olive at 160C till puffed and lightly browned.
• To serve, pour the soup in individual bowls and garnish with the reserved mushrooms and whipped cream, followed by a puff pastry on top.