Wild Mushroom Soup with Chicken

I am going to share my Wild Mushroom Soup with Chicken recipe with you.  I made this soup last night and I got a great big WOW!!! from Jim on this one.  You don’t have to put the chicken in if you don’t want to and the mushrooms can really be what you like or, more importantly,  what you can find.

I like to use the wildest mushrooms I can find (The ones that stayed out late partying the night before are the best).  Whole Foods often has a really nice selection although they are extremely expensive.  If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor market in your neighborhood, you might want to check out the produce purveyor.  If they don’t have wild mushrooms and you are serious about getting them, establish a relationship with the vendor and most likely they will bring them in.

I am fortunate to have a weekend market in Wilton Manors with a produce purveyor that carries the best wild mushrooms at a great price.  All of the mushrooms they carry are locally grown, hence the low price.

A great source for wild mushrooms is in Oregon.  They have a wonderful selection and pretty good prices.  But they get you on the shipping.  The website is worth a visit.   http://oregonmushrooms.com

I don’t put in any herbs, other than Sunny Paris Seasoning from Penzey’s Spices, because I want the mushroom flavor to be the predominate taste.  The Sunny Paris gives it a little French flair.  There is no salt in Sunny Paris.  I love this herb mixture:  It is subtle and it reminds me of Paris.  Check out Penzey’s website.  Some of you may be lucky enough to have a retail store in your area.  If not, the catalog has everything you can think of and the shipping is not expensive.  http://penzeys.com

With this soup I served a salad of Wild Greens with Roasted Beets, Blood Oranges, Pickled Red Onions and May Tag Blue Cheese.  I tossed it with White Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil from France.  We drank a glass of Zinfandel which went great with both the salad and the soup.  Lots of earthy flavors packed into our dinner and wine.

I use creme fraiche in this recipe (a key component) and if you don’t want to make it or don’t have time to do so, you can buy it at the grocery.  BUT if you do have time here is how to make it:  In a large glass jar with a lid mix 4 cups heavy cream with 1 cup buttermilk.  Cover the jar with the lid and set aside on your counter in a cool dark area.  Leave the jar on the counter for 36 hours.  After that time, refrigerate for at least 2 days before using.  The creme fraiche will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.  You can use this in place of sour cream in any recipe that calls for it.  One of the really nice things about creme fraiche, besides the taste, is that it won’t separate when heated, as sour cream often does.

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP WITH CHICKEN

Serves 8 As A Main Course

1        One Ounce Package Dried Porcini Mushrooms

3-4     Lbs. Wild Mushrooms Such as Shitake, Ynoki, Hen of the Woods, Oyster, Trumpet, Hedgehog, Porcini (It is best to use at least 3 or 4 different kinds of mushrooms.  It gives more intense depth and layers of flavor)

4        Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Divided

4        Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Divided

1        Whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (About 1 Lb.)

1        Large Spanish Onion, Finely Chopped

6        Stalks Celery, Finely Chopped

2        Large Yukon Gold Potatoes, Skin On, Cut into 1/2” Cubes

2        Tablespoons Sunny Paris Dried Seasoning from Penzey’s Spices

2        Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt

1        Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/4     Cup All Purpose Flour

1        Cup Madeira Wine

2        Cups Mushroom Liquid

5        Cups Homemade Chicken Stock or Store Bought Low Sodium Chicken

Broth

1        Cup Crème Fraiche

1        Cup Heavy Cream

Crème Fraiche, a Drizzle of White Truffle Oil and Chopped Chives for Garnish

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small sauce pan and cover with 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let the mushrooms sit in the liquid for 10 minutes before straining.  Strain the liquid through a strainer fitted with cheese cloth or paper towel.  Rinse the mushrooms to be sure there is no dirt or sand.  Squeeze out as much liquid as possible into the cheese cloth fitted strainer.  Set aside the liquid.  Coarsely chop the mushrooms.  You want the mushroom pieces a little on the large side so you can sink your teeth into these wonderfully flavorful morsels.

Sprinkle the chicken breast with a little of the salt and pepper.  In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons each of the butter and oil over medium heat.  When the butter stops sizzling, add the chicken breast and sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.  You want the chicken to be about 3/4 of the way cooked.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Increase the heat to medium high and in the same Dutch oven add 1 tablespoon each of the butter and oil and put half of the mushrooms in the pan.  Sprinkle the mushrooms with a little more of the salt and pepper and sauté them in two batches (You should sprinkle the mushrooms with the salt and pepper as you place each batch in the pan.  I call this “salt and pepper as you go”.)  Before you stir them let the mushrooms get a bit of caramelization on the bottom.  You don’t want them to steam or release their liquid.  Remove from the pan and sauté the rest of the mushrooms.  Remove and set aside.

Add the rest of the butter and oil and, over medium heat, sauté the onion, celery and potato until the onion and celery are a bit softened.  Sprinkle the mixture with the flour and stir to coat.  Cook for a few minutes stirring often.  You want to cook the flour flavor out of the mixture.  Add the rest of the salt and pepper and the Sunny Paris Herb Mixture to the vegetables.

Pour in the Madeira wine, stir into the vegetables.  This will become thick and paste like.  Cook and stir for 1 minute.  Stir in the 2 cups of mushroom liquid and the chicken stock and gently bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and gently simmer until the potatoes are softened, about 20 minutes.

Add the 1 cup of creme fraiche and the heavy cream and stir to incorporate.  Add the sautéed mushrooms with all of the juices that have accumulated and continue to gently simmer for 20 more minutes.

Cut or shred the chicken breast into pieces that are medium in size.  You don’t want the chicken to get lost in the soup so be careful not to make the pieces too small.  Add the chicken pieces to the soup and cook for 5 minutes.

At this point the soup will be perfect but if it seems a little too thin for your liking thicken it up by dissolving 2 tablespoons of corn starch in 1/4 cup of water.  Use your fingers to mix together (this is the best way to be sure there are no lumps).  Bring the soup to a boil and add the corn starch/water mixture stirring continuously until all of the corn starch liquid has been blended in and the soup is slightly thicker.  Boil the soup for 1 minute more.

Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls.  Dollop each bowl of soup with crème fraiche, a drizzle of white truffle oil and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Let me know if you have any questions by commenting on the blog or e-mailing me at camille@camillecooksforyou.com