MUSHROOM STOCK AND SOUP | FUMET DE SETAS Y SOPA DE LAS MISMAS
In autumn, I love foraging for mushrooms and there is never a year when I don’t go to look for them on a few walks. As well no year goes by when I don’t enjoy a good mushroom mellow rice made with mushrooms stock. The reason is that I like to feel the earthy special flavour mushrooms have that sometimes gets lost in between other ingredients. I love a good risotto but unfortunately they abuse so much of the Parmesan and butter that mushrooms get behind those bold flavours. I like my mushroom dishes to taste very pure as if I was tasting and smelling the forest.
INGREDIENTS for the base
50g dried shitake or porcini mushrooms
250g button mushrooms
100ml olive oil
1 large Spanish onion
1 stalk celery
4 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 sprigs of thyme
1 shot of brandy
3 litres of water
Salt and pepper
INGREDIENTS for the SOUP
2 eggs
A few shaving of Manchego cheese
A drizzle of truffle oil
2 slices of bread
Preparation
Clean the button mushrooms with a damp cloth and slice thinly. On a large pot over medium heat pour the olive oil, add the thinly sliced onion, the thinly sliced celery and fry for 5 minutes. Add the thinly slice mushrooms, the bay leaf, garlic and sauté for a further 10 minutes. Add the fennel seeds, salt, pepper and flambe with the brandy.
Pour the water, the dried porcini mushrooms, add the sprigs of thyme and any green leaves from the celery stalks and let it simmer for 45 minutes.
Drain most of the stock with the help of a sieve and a bowl and let your stock cool down before pouring it into kilner jars or an air-tight container for whichever other recipes you are planning on cooking.
To finish of your soup, reduce down slightly the remaining stock to concentrate even more the flavour and serve in a couple of soup plates, top them with an egg yolk, some Manchego shavings and a small drizzle of truffle oil. Serve with grilled bread to dip with.