Mad Cook
Master Chef
In the greengrocer's yesterday I picked up a huge punnet of mushrooms (about 2lbs) and made it into soup today.
I had some a packet of dried chanterelles mushrooms in the cupboard which needed using so put them to soak over-night in water.
Sliced the fresh mushrooms (took forever) and sauted (sorry, can't do acute accent there) them in part butter & part veg oil, until lightly browned. Removed mushrooms to soup pot with the drained chanterelles (saved the soaking liquid).
Chopped and "sweated" two large onions until soft. Tipped into pot with the mushrooms and chanterelles, added 2 pints veg stock (from Knorr cubes) plus the soaking liquid from the chanterelles (strained to remove any gritty bits), 3 bay leaves, heaped teaspoon of dried oregano, several cranks of the pepper mill but no salt at this stage.
Brought to the boil then turned down the heat to a slow simmer for about 1/2 an hour until the chanterelles were softened. Whizzed the contents of the pot with the stick blender until fairly smooth (this is a bit rustic). Tasted for salt and adjusted it with a little more. Added a small can of Carnation evaporated milk (not condensed milk) and heated it through. (I have absolutely no idea why I had a can of "evap" in my store cupboard as I never use it. However, it worked well in this soup.)
I had some for lunch today and decanted the rest into single portion "Lock 'n' Lock" containers to go in the freezer (if they last that long!). Made 4-5 portions (the bowl I ate was rather large!).
It was an experiment but it turned out really well. It had a rather sinister colour but mushrooms tend to do that.
I had some a packet of dried chanterelles mushrooms in the cupboard which needed using so put them to soak over-night in water.
Sliced the fresh mushrooms (took forever) and sauted (sorry, can't do acute accent there) them in part butter & part veg oil, until lightly browned. Removed mushrooms to soup pot with the drained chanterelles (saved the soaking liquid).
Chopped and "sweated" two large onions until soft. Tipped into pot with the mushrooms and chanterelles, added 2 pints veg stock (from Knorr cubes) plus the soaking liquid from the chanterelles (strained to remove any gritty bits), 3 bay leaves, heaped teaspoon of dried oregano, several cranks of the pepper mill but no salt at this stage.
Brought to the boil then turned down the heat to a slow simmer for about 1/2 an hour until the chanterelles were softened. Whizzed the contents of the pot with the stick blender until fairly smooth (this is a bit rustic). Tasted for salt and adjusted it with a little more. Added a small can of Carnation evaporated milk (not condensed milk) and heated it through. (I have absolutely no idea why I had a can of "evap" in my store cupboard as I never use it. However, it worked well in this soup.)
I had some for lunch today and decanted the rest into single portion "Lock 'n' Lock" containers to go in the freezer (if they last that long!). Made 4-5 portions (the bowl I ate was rather large!).
It was an experiment but it turned out really well. It had a rather sinister colour but mushrooms tend to do that.