Porcini Powder and Magic Mushroom Soup (Patricia Wells)

My new cooking superpower

You may have noticed that I have using porcini powder in my Fall cooking. I have discovered it provides an earthiness and umami to meats and veggies. 

You can make your own.  You just need a clean coffee grinder.  Why did I decide to grind dried porcinis, you ask?

Patricia Wells in her Paris kitchen

Because I had to make Magic Mushroom Soup after running across a video by My French Country Home's Sharon Santoni, from February 2017, around the time Patricia Wells was promoting her latest cookbook, My Master Recipes.

Patricia Wells has a very popular French cooking school in Paris and Provence.  I had it on my bucket list to do with my friend, Mary, but not sure we'll ever get there.  So, best to try her recipes from afar.

(click above or here to watch the 2 minute video)

I used grocery-store dried porcini to make the mushroom powder.  And then looked for some fresh mushrooms to make the mushroom toast.

If you want to make it, too, I clipped her Magic Mushroom Soup from her website:  At Home with Patricia Wells

She has a lovely website, blog, cooking classes, and cookbooks.  She's the crème de la crème of American French cooking instructors.

---Barbara

MAGIC MUSHROOM SOUP

I call this crowd-pleasing soup my magic recipe. It is so amazing that so few ingredients – and a soup made in a matter of minutes – can have so much depth of flavor. It really is a fine example of the miracles of infusion. The dried cèpe (porcini) mushroom powder packs a maximum of fragrance and flavor and takes well to many variations: pair it with paper-thin slices of raw domestic mushrooms or seared domestic or wild mushrooms showered in the bowl at serving time; prepare with dried morel powder in place of cèpes; top with thin slices of raw black truffles; or add a dollop of mushroom powder-infused whipped cream.

8 Servings

 

Equipment

A large jar with a lid, a 3-quart (3 l) heavy-duty saucepan with a lid, 8 warmed, shallow soup bowls.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons cèpe powder (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 cups (750 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Extra virgin olive oil, or chive oil for garnish

Note

To prepare cèpe powder, coarsely chop or cut with a scissors about 2 ounces (30 g) of best-quality dried cèpe mushrooms. Working in batches, grind them to a fine powder in an electric spice mill. This should yield about 8 tablespoons   of powder. Store the powder in a small jar, tightly sealed, in a cool, dry place, for up to 6 months.

METHOD

1.     If time permits, combine the cream and mushroom powder in a jar, seal, 

and refrigerate for 24 hours to infuse the cream with the mushroom flavor and aroma. 

(Alternatively, combine the cream and mushroom powder in the heavy-duty saucepan, 

bring just to a simmer, cover, remove from the heat, and set aside for 30 minutes 

to infuse the cream.)

2.     At serving time, in the saucepan, combine the infused cream, salt, 

and stock and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat 

and taste for seasoning.

3.     Serve in the warmed soup bowls, garnished with chives and a few drops of oil.

 

VARIATIONS: Add sliced raw domestic or wild mushrooms to the soup

 and cook for several minutes; add grilled, sliced cèpes or domestic 

or wild mushrooms; for a decadent flourish add truffle matchsticks at serving time.

MAKE AHEAD NOTE: The soup can be prepare up to 3 days in advance 

and stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator.