Wild Mushroom Chowder

This dish is comfort food for the nature lover, a hearty and rustic yet sophisticated one-dish meal or a substantial first course during cold weather. It is savory and rich, having as its base a pureed of aromatic vegetables. The recipe further thickens the mix with the addition of a small amount of cooked flour. The dish is finished with some heavy cream, which may be omitted or replaced with whole or reduced-fat milk. It is accompanied by cheesy croutons cut from a baguette, floated on the surface of the chowder (recipe in notes, below). The adventurous might substitute plain yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraiche for the heavy cream that finishes the dish.

• Total preparation time is about one hour.
• Serves 3 or more as entrée, 4 or more as soup course
• Serve with a light red wine such as pinot noir, or a rich white such as an oaky chardonnay or fumé blanc

Ingredients

Qty	Ingredient	Prep	Comment
1	Medium onion	Diced	~ 1 c.
1	Medium shallot	Diced	~ ½ c.
1	Medium potato	Peeled and cut in small dice	~ 1 c. diced
3	Large cloves garlic	Minced	~ ¼ c. minced
2 T.	Olive oil		Extra virgin is preferred
~4	Medium carrots	Cut in small dice	Divide into two equal portions
~2	Medium stalks celery	Cut in small dice	Divide into two equal portions
~1 t.	Marjoram		Fresh, if possible
~1 t.	Oregano		Fresh, if possible
4 t.	Flat leaf parsley	Minced	Divide into two equal portions
6 c	Chicken broth		See notes on broth
6 c	Water		More or less, as needed
3-4 T.	Unbleached flour
1 t.	Kosher salt
1 t.	Black pepper	Ground
~ 3	Medium bay leaves		Fresh, if possible
6-8 oz.	Button mushrooms	Sliced ~ ¼” thick	See notes on mushrooms
4 oz.	Changerelle mushrooms	Sliced ~ ¼” thick	See notes on mushrooms
4 oz.	Royal trumpet mushrooms	Sliced ~ ¼” thick	See notes on mushrooms
4 oz.	Shiitake mushrooms	Sliced ~ ¼” thick	See notes on mushrooms
4 – 6 oz.	Heavy cream		Use milk or half-and-half as preferred
	Croutons		For serving.  See notes on croutons

Instructions

1.	In a medium stockpot, sauté onion and shallot in olive oil until softened.  Add garlic and sauté for ~ 1 minute until softened.  Add potato and sauté for ~ 2 minutes.  Add half of the carrots, celery, and parsley.
2.	Add about 2 c. broth and bring to a boil.  Add marjoram and oregano.  Add enough additional broth to make a thick slurry.  Cook over medium heat until each of the vegetables is tender but not mushy.
3.	Remove from the heat.  Using a stick blender or food processor, carefully process the mixture until smooth.  Add salt (see note on broth, below) and black pepper to taste
4.	Return mixture to stockpot.  Add remaining broth and half the water.  Add the remaining carrots and celery.  Add bay leaves.  Bring mixture to a low boil.  Adjust salt and add pepper to taste.  Add mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes or so until everything begins to tenderize.
5.	In a small dish, blend the flour with just enough water to make a thick, smooth paste.  Stir in water by teaspoons to thin the paste to creamy consistency.  By teaspoons, stir the flour mixture into the boiling soup to thicken the mixture slightly.  Stir/whisk at a low boil to smooth the consistency.  Reduce heat to a simmer for another 10 minutes to cook flour through.
6.	Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Add remaining parsley.  Stir in cream and reduce heat to prevent boiling from this point forward.  Hold at very low heat for no more than 10 minutes before serving.
7.	Serve in bowls with croutons (see notes, below).

Notes:

On Broth – If using commercial broth, omit added salt, or at least wait until soup is nearly finished to add salt. Commercially prepared broth is often overly salty. Start with one-half the quantity of broth, adding more if the saltiness is not yet too high. Once the soup is salty enough, add only water after that point, adjusting saltiness when the recipe is nearly complete (see step 6).

 On Mushrooms – Any combination of edible wild mushrooms will work in this recipe. Create a balance of flavors by using smaller amounts of very strongly flavored mushrooms. Using about four different types of mushrooms creates a desirable complexity of flavors and textures, although more types may be added if desired. Do not wash mushrooms; rather, brush them free of dirt and grit with a damp kitchen towel.

On Croutons – Make croutons or use commercial ones. Croutons can be easily made by thinly slicing day-old baguettes, brushing with olive oil, sprinkling with garlic powder and grated parmesan, and baked for about 12 minutes in a 350° oven until lightly browned and cheese has melted.