Ingredients (serves 6, proudly):
- 1/4 lb. unsalted butter
- 2 onions, sweet medium, diced
- 2 potatoes, chopped small
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 leek, white and tender parts, chopped
- 1/3 tsp dried thyme
- 1 - 1/3 lbs. mushrooms, mixed oysters, chanterelles and shitakes chopped small
- 3/4 cup white wine, dry and good
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 3/4 cup bolete (porcini) mushroom stock, already somewhat reduced (use about 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms - reconstitute in warm water, let sediment drop to bottom of bowl, pour off stock carefully, discard sediment, and reduce stock slightly, add the porcini mushrooms to the other mushrooms mentioned above )
- 1 - 3/4 pints of water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- about 2 Tbl good brandy
Directions:
- Saute the onions, leek, celery in the butter over medium heat with the thyme, until onion is translucent. Add the mushrooms turn to medium high heat, and cook for 10 minutes (depends on moisture content).
- In another pan reduce the wine over high heat by 1/3 (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the water, porcini stock and potatoes to the mushroom mixture and simmer 15 minutes more.
- Over the same low heat, add the reduced wine slowly and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Over the same low heat, add the cream and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Just before serving add a bit of the brandy and a good pinch of the nutmeg to each bowl of soup.