OK everyone. I finally have a moment or two to post this reicpe. Just know that this is not a quick and easy soup. But it isn't difficult either. It just requires attention to detail.
I usualy add thyme and onion, and maybe some garlic to my poultry based soups. But I wanted to let the ingrediant flavors shine through, unadulterated, and so omited most seasonings. The result was very elegant. Serve this soup when you want to impress someone, or treat yourself. It is truly suxurious. I have never made such a silky-smooth soup as this one is.
Creamy Chicken/Mushroom/Celery Soup
Ingrediants"
1 whole chicken, between 2-1/2 and three pounds.
4 dark-green stalks celery
16 oz. slice portabella or cremini mushrooms
1 pint heavy whipping cream (16 oz.)
2 tbs. high quality chicken base
Salt
2 sticks salted butter (ther real thing)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Skin and bone the chicken. Place the meat aside and refrigerate. Break the bones with a heavy knife to allow the collagen and marrow nutrients to be extracted into the soup. Put the skin and bones into a 3 quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.
Chop 2 sstalks of celery into 3 inch chunks and add to the soup, along with the soup base. Add enough water to cover the bones again, and cook for 30 minutes more.
While the stock is cooking, chp the mushrooms into small pieces and cook in 1/2 stick of butter, covered, until tender. Reserve the pan juices.
Remove stock from heat and pour the pot contents through a fine, wire mesh strainer. Discard the solids.
Melt one stick of butter over medium heat and add the flour. Mix in more butter as needed until you get a proper roux. Slowly ladle the stock into the roux, stirring vigorously, but carefully, with a wire whisk until a smooth sauce is formed. Pour the sauce into the remaining stock and simmer. Add the mushrooms and pan juices.
You are looking for a rich soup with a gravy-like consistancy. I had to make more roux and thin with more soup to get it just right.
Slice the remaining celery and add to the soup. Cover and let simmer until the clelery is tender.
Dice the chicken meat and place in a covered skillet with any reamining butter. Lightly salt. Stir frequently until the chicken is just barely cooked through. Pour the chicken and pan juices into the soup. And as always, taste-test and correct the seasoning with more chicken base if needed. Stir and serve.
This soup came out so good that a nutritionist freind of mine tried it and requested the recipe. I told her that it was full of hidden fat and was not a very heathy soup because of the high starch and fat content. She said that she didn't care. She wanted the recipe. I chuckled at that. The point is, don't make it often. Save it for when you really want to treat yourself, or a loved one well.
If you really want to get crazy, add a few drops of truffle oil to the soup bowl before serving. Yum.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
