Roasted Mushroom Bisque
Makes 4 quarts – 12 servings
Easily halved for a smaller quantity
Ingredients:
3 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
3 cups boiling water
1 pound white button mushrooms
1 pound cremini mushrooms (baby bellas)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 medium onion, diced
4 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cups beef broth
1 cup sherry (or white wine)
2 small potatoes, peeled, shredded
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, more to taste
Directions:
1. HYDRATE the dried mushrooms by pouring boiling water over them. (We used a combination of dried porcini, dried oyster, and dried wood ears.) ALLOW to stand for 15-20 minutes until fully hydrated. REMOVE the softened mushrooms from the liquid and chop coarsely. STRAIN the liquid reserving 2 cups for later use.
2. HEAT the oven to 400°F. LINE two rimmed jelly roll pans with parchment paper. BRUSH the fresh mushrooms to clean and remove any dirt. TRIM any tough stem ends away. SLICE the mushrooms, 1/8-to-3/16-inch slices. PLACE the mushrooms on the prepared pan in a single layer. SPRINKLE 1 teaspoon Kosher salt over the mushrooms and ROAST in the hot oven for 15- 20 minutes, or until fully wilted and the edges begin to caramelize. Remove from the oven; set aside while making the soup base.
3. SAUTÉ the diced onion in the 4 tablespoons of butter in a larger (5 qt.) saucepan until translucent. Add the crushed garlic and thyme leaves, sauté an additional 30-45 seconds.
4. ADD the flour to the onion-butter mixture and whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes. STIR in the mustard, then gradually ADD the beef broth and sherry (or white wine).
5. PLACE in the liquid, the shredded potatoes, half of the chopped dried mushrooms, and half of the roasted, fresh mushrooms. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes have become tender and disintegrated. Meanwhile, the mushrooms will lend their flavor to the soup in the simmering process. STIR occasionally.
6. PUREE the soup until smooth with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. RETURN the soup to the saucepan. WHISK the yogurt and milk into the soup and return to a simmer.
7. COARSELY chop the remaining rehydrated dried mushrooms and the remaining roasted mushrooms reserving some whole slices for garnishing. ADD the chopped mushrooms to the soup and allow thorough warming before serving. LADLE while hot; GARNISH with reserved mushroom slices and a sprig of thyme.