Wild mushroom soup

Wild mushroom soup with James' favorite loaf

Wild mushrooms, dried	1 ounce
Butter	5 tablespoons
Onion, chopped	1 cup
Wild and domestic mushrooms, cleaned and chopped	1 pound
Beef or chicken broth, or a combination of both	4 cups
Flour	2 tablespoons
Parsley, fresh, chopped	2 tablespoons
Basil, dried	½ teaspoon
Black pepper, freshly ground	1/8 teaspoon
Madeira or vermouth	¼ cup
Salt	To taste
Sour cream	1 cup

Rinse the dried mushrooms free of any grit. Place them in a small bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over them. Let them soak for 1 hour. Remove the mushrooms, saving the water. Trim off woody stems, if necessary. Chop mushrooms. Strain the water or pour it off carefully, to remove any sand.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and fresh mushrooms. Sauté 10 minutes. Add the dried mushrooms, reserved water, and stock. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. While the soup is simmering, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan. Add the flour and stir well to make a roux. Add a little of the hot stock to the roux; it will immediately turn into a paste. Gradually whisk in about ½ cup more stock. Then add the roux to the soup; whisk in.

After the soup has simmered 20 minutes, add parsley, basil, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add Madeira or vermouth. Taste and add salt, if needed. Stir in sour cream and remove soup from heat immediately. Serve.

Recommendation: If your in need of some great shiitake mushrooms, check out the Lost Creek Mushroom Farm, located in Perkins, Oklahoma. My 'Ma & Pa' logs arrived yesterday (see the photo)!

Recipe from Recipes from the Pacific Rim by Marjie Lambert.