I know that I have ranted about cooking magazines before, but this rant is new and different.
It’s about the “brown issues.“ You know… the November issues when all the food is brown?
Brown turkey. Brown stuffing. Brown gravy. Brown pies. And, for a touch of color, beige potatoes.
Even the green foods turn brown when covered with crispy brown onion toppings.
I think there was one year when I didn’t open a single November issue; I just passed them onto a friend.
Hah! Some friend I am! I could, at least, have included a colorful issue.
Yet here I am today, slightly repentant, because I’m about to offer you brown food. Sometimes, you just need to eat brown food. Like this Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup.
What a perfect opener for your Thanksgiving Feast, with thanks that it will be another 11 months before we see the brown issues again.
Happy Thanksgiving - may yours be colorful and bright.
~ David
Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup
Inspired by a recipe from Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things
1/2 cup dried porcini
1/2 cup Marsala
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways and finely sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
12 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 pound cooked and peeled chestnuts
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup light cream
4 thin slices from one button mushroom
Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small microwave-safe bowl and add the Marsala to cover. Heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on the strength of your microwave. Set aside to allow mushrooms to soften.
Heat the oil and butter in large stockpot over medium heat. Add leek, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes until tender, but not browned. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes until softened. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the Marsala. Rinse the porcini to remove any sand and grit, then coarsely chop them and add them to the pot. Sauté them for a minute longer.
Stir in chestnuts and stock, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the reserved Marsala.
In batches, purée soup in a blender until very creamy. Pour into a clean pot. Bring back to a simmer and stir in the light cream. Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with a slice of mushroom.
Serves 4.
Labels: chestnuts, dried porcini, marsala, mushrooms, soffrito
