Cream of Chanterelle Soup
Chanterelles can be found most times of the year, depending on how far you are willing to travel. This summer has been a banner year for chanterelles, so what better way to use your excess chanterelles than to make a heavenly soup?
2 or more cups fresh chanterelles
2 large shallots or half of 1 onion fine-diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sweet white wine or sherry
1 pint chicken broth
1 cup cream
1/4 tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes
salt to taste
flour
Cook fresh chanterelles in skillet with light olive oil and/or butter with onions and garlic. (I used truffle oil).
While cooking, combine the stock and cream in a soup pot and bring to a simmer. When moisture has disappeared from chanterelles, pour into stock/cream and pour wine into the skillet to lift off remaining flavor and pour into stock mix. (This is called de-glazing the skillet). Add cayenne and adjust cayenne and salt to taste.
Thicken the soup by removing 1/4 cup broth/cream mixture and whisking in enough flour to create the consistency of paste. Starting with about 1 tablespoon of warm flour mixture, whisk a little at a time back into the soup and let the soup come back to a simmer for 1 minute, giving the soup a chance to thicken. (It will not thicken until it comes back to a simmer). Repeat until it is close to the thickness you want. Finally, simmer for another 15 minutes to dissolve any leftover clumps and mellow out the ‘flour’ taste.
Serves 6-8.
