Cream of Mushroom Soup

It took me a few attempts to get this right; it would have been much easier of course if I'd bothered to read a recipe book or something, but no, I had to try to figure it out myself. Stubborn wee cow that I am. Funny thing is, once I had it to my satisfaction, I then turned to my trusty Elizabeth Davids to check out her version, and - guess what - I wasn't far off, as she uses much the same ingredients, much less garlic of course, and a slice of milk-soaked white bread where I use the potato. I reckon mine would be a helluva lot gutsier and more flavoursome, though. I'm rather impressed with myself , I have to say.

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

500 g small white button mushrooms *

4 cloves garlic

2 rashers back bacon (ie v. little fat)

1 small white leek

1 medium potato

2 heaped tspns dried parsley

1 tspn dried basil

a few sprigs fresh parsley, washed

1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock

300 ml milk

1 tbspn olive oil

1 tbspn butter

 

 

* this is important. If the only shrooms available at your supermarket/veggie shop are large or medium ones, don't bother. These are too big and old, and being too big means that they are too brown. Use these and the result will be a very very dark grey, thinned out, bitter-tasting mess

 

Method:

Peel and mince garlic into a paste with a little rock salt. Chop bacon finely. Chop leek very finely, using only the white part. Peel potato and dice finely. Wipe mushrooms with a damp tea-towel (never wash or soak) and chop roughly - eg, just into half.

Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. When hot, add butter. When butter melts, add garlic, bacon, leeks, potato and mushrooms. Cook until leeks and mushrooms are beginning to melt down - if at any stage the garlic looks as though its going a little too gold-coloured, turn the heat down. You want all the ingredients to kind of melt together, and we all know about burned garlic.

Add about three-quarters of the stock and the herbs to the saucepan, stir and cover with the lid. Allow to simmer - not boil ferociously - for about 20 minutes. This ensures the leek, potato and bacon will be well cooked and puree-friendly, without cooking all the flavour out of everything.

After 20 minutes or so, take the pan off the heat and puree using a handheld blender (eg, Braun Multiquick). You will find that no matter how much you blend there will still be little bits of mushroom or leek lurking at the bottom - I like these little "treasures" amongst an otherwise creamy soup. Also, given the nature of mushrooms, the texture will not be totally smooth, but kind of grainy. Not gritty. Grainy.

Add the remaining stock and bring back to a simmer. Add milk, pouring slowly and stirring the soup so its all well combined. Once milk is added, bring back to simmering heat but do not allow to boil.

When nice and hot, serve in wide bowls, with croutons if liked (I just do toast and cut into wee squares; no poncing about with cutting off crusts and browning gently on baking trays for me) or just chunks of good fresh bread. Garnish, if you want, with a small sprinkling of finely chopped fresh parsley.

 

 

NOTES:  I think a couple of shots of brandy or good sherry included at the stock stage would be a really really yummy addition; unfortunately my cupboard is totally bare of such luxury items right now so I can't tell you for certain. I did think, just for a moment, of trying whiskey or Guinness but ...

Also, you can grind a little black pepper into your bowl of soup once served, but don't add black pepper during the cooking stage. Or salt, for that matter, you'll probably find it is salty and flavoursome enough, but again you can grind a little sea salt into your own bowl if you really really want.