Sunday, September 30, 2012

magic mushrooms


okay, truth: there are no actual hallucinogenic drugs in this post and/or recipe.  stand down there, people who may be involved in law enforcement.  no, these mushrooms are magic in the same way that mike is: mostly naked, a little sweaty, and tasty as all hell.  BOOM!

okay, now that we have oily male strippers on the mind, who’s ready to talk about food??  I made two soups this weekend: one magical, and one…  eh.  the second is still on the fence.  I’m hoping it perks up tomorrow, waking as if from a previous hangover, suddenly surprisingly full of vibrant conversation and witty repartee.  we shall see.  but you terribly busy and important people have no time for potentially interesting yet potentially dull recipes.  no, no.  let’s stick with the one that’s magical, sexy, and makes you tingle in all the right places.  (oh, my!)

fall is looming menacingly like a good alan rickman character here in the pacific northwest, and I for one am ready.  I adore the sunny, yet chilly days; the blue skies that accompany red noses.  were it possible to have a crush on a place, for me it might just be seattle in the autumn.  and such delightfully brisk weather doesn’t just suggest warming fare such as soups and stews, it demands them.  i take words like “braise” and “simmer” and i wrap them around me like a scarf and look forward to planning meals for those november and december holidays...

but there’s time enough for that in the months to come.  for now, let’s just make some magical soup. 


jamie oliver’s “real mushroom soup” (adapted from “jamie’s dinners”)


a small handful of dried porcini
olive oil
20oz mixed fresh mushrooms (i used shiitake and crimini.  worked just fine), cleaned and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
a knob of butter (that’s right, americans.  jamie says a KNOB of butter.  I used 2 tablespoons)
 a handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked (or a half-teaspoon of dried, if you’re me)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped (truth: I forgot to add mine.  was just fine)
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese (truth: I didn’t have any.  didn’t miss it)


place the porcini in a small dish, add boiling water just to cover, and leave to soak, maybe 20 minutes.  

meanwhile, get a large casserole-type pan nice and hot, then add a good couple of lugs of olive oil and your fresh mushrooms.  saute for a minute, then add your garlic, onion, butter and thyme and a small amount of seasoning.  


after about a minute, add your chopped up porcini, then strain the soaking liquid to remove any grit, and add it to the pan.  continue cooking for about 20 minutes until most of the moisture disappears.

add your stock, bring to the boil, and simmer for around 20 minutes.  using an immersion blender, give it a quick whiz in the pan, then season to taste.  

if you’ve remembered the parsley and if you care for the mascarpone, add them at this point.  or, no offense to jamie and his nakedness, leave them out and it will still be a spectacular soup.  



i finished it with a little pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. mmmm, fallsy and woodsy and all kinds of magical...

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