Chanterelle soup

                        

                                                Prep time: 10 minutes

                                                Cook time: 12 minutes

                                                Serves: 4 to 6

            I used to live in Portland, Oregon, where, along the coastal range that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, chanterelles are indigenous. One time when friends visited in September from Paris, they returned, astounded, from a hike in those mountains, holding a shirt full of the light-tan mushrooms (one of them had removed his shirt so they could use it as a bag), and proceeded to make an omelet that was more mushrooms than eggs. It was delicious.

            If you have never eaten chanterelles, you are in for a treat. They are my favorite mushroom, but they have a delicate flavor that can be overpowered easily. That is why this soup works well. It captures, full-on, the unique nutty flavor of chanterelles. If served as a separate course, there are no competing flavors. A handful of mushrooms is enough for six servings of soup as a starter.

            The inspiration for this recipe came from one of my favorite restaurants in Portland when I lived there, called Bread and Ink. It still has this soup on the menu. The chef came out and gave me the basics, but it was never written down so I don’t think there are copyright infringements here. In essence, the soup consists of chanterelles sautéed in butter and garlic, with chicken broth, some Marsala, and a bit of cream for richness.

MUSIC: Put on something French, anything from Satie, Debussy, or Ravel, to French Rap/hip-hop by MC Solar (there’s no “explicit” lyrics to worry about because you can’t understand the words, and there is always some melody in the background of French hip-hop).

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED:

1. Chanterelles¹: about 1 to 1½ Cup of coarsely chopped mushrooms that have been brushed off or gently rinsed.
2. Butter, unsalted, 2 Tablespoons
3. Garlic, 1 small to medium clove, chopped (don’t overdo the garlic!)
4. Marsala, about ¼ Cup
5. Chicken broth,  1½ to 2 Cups
6. Cream: half and half ½  Cup, or table cream 1/3 Cup, or heavy cream ¼ Cup. These are approximates. Just don’t put too much cream or it tastes too fatty.
7. Black pepper
8. Italian parsley (or crinkly), chopped, for garnish.

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

• Sauté chanterelles in butter and garlic for about 3 minutes until softened. they don’t need much cooking, but you won’t hurt them by cooking longer.
• Season with plenty of ground black pepper.
• Add Marsala.
• Add chicken broth.
• Salt to taste.
• Add cream and reheat.
• Serve with parsley garnish.

WINE: A nice white, either dry or a little fruity, goes very well with this soup: Pinot Gris (same as Pinot Grigio), Chablis, Pouilly Fusse. Red wine also can go very well, if you choose something in the Burgundy realm, like Beaujolais or Pinot noir. 

¹About chanterelles: They are expensive, but if you seek out the ones that have dried more and avoid the water logged larger ones, you’ll spend less for more ‘shrooms.