Mushroom Consommé Recipe 35

MUSHROOM CONSOMME

Steps:

• Combine Porcini mushrooms, garlic and chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile beat water with egg whites, and gradually, in a thin steady stream, ladle half of the mushroom broth into the egg whites. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and set over moderate heat. As the broth reaches the simmer, stir it continuously with a whisk. When the simmer is reached, stop stirring; the egg whites should have mounted to the surface in a frothy "cap". Gently move the saucepan to the side (half off heat) so that the edge of the liquid is barely bubbling. Make a quarter turn of the saucepan every 5 minutes until all parts of broth have had a chance to clarify.
• Line a wide strainer with a triple layer of washed cotton cheesecloth. Set the strainer over a deep saucepot (so that bottom of strainer remains above surface of liquid). Carefully ladle stock and egg white cap into cheesecloth, disturbing egg whites as little as possible. Towards the end of straining, as cheesecloth gets full, the liquid will pass down more slowly. Just lift the cheesecloth gently so liquid can drain through an unused section of it. Let cheesecloth and egg whites sit over saucepan undisturbed for 5 minutes.
• When ready to eat, reheat consomme in a clean saucepan; adjust seasoning and ladle it out. Garnish with raw mushroom slices and radish sprouts.

DRIED PORCINI CONSOMMé

Steps:

• Place the dried porcinis in a bowl or a pyrex measuring cup and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wipe the fresh mushrooms, trim away the bottoms if they are sandy, break off the stems and set them aside. Set aside half of the caps in a separate bowl and slice the rest.
• Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Drain the porcinis through the cheesecloth-lined strainer. Squeeze over the strainer to extract as much flavorful liquid as possible and set aside the broth. Rinse the reconstituted mushrooms in several changes of water. Measure the mushroom soaking water and add enough water to make 4 cups.
• In a soup pot or a large saucepan, combine the mushroom soaking liquid, the chicken or vegetable stock, the soaked porcinis, fresh mushroom stems and sliced caps, garlic, and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 30 minutes. Strain the soup and return to the saucepan. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and the soy sauce.
• Slice the fresh mushroom caps you set aside paper-thin and toss with a couple of drops of lemon juice. Ladle the soup into bowls or espresso cups, garnish with a couple of slices of mushroom and a sprinkling of chives, and serve.

MUSHROOM CONSOMMé WITH MORELS AND PASTRY "HATS"

Steps:

• In a 6-quart stockpot or kettle combine consommé ingredients and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours. Pour consommé through a large fine sieve lined with a rinsed and squeezed paper towel into a large saucepan, pressing gently on solids, to yield about 5 cups consommé (if yield is not enough, add water to make 5 cups; if too much, boil consommé until reduced to 5 cups). Season consommé with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl pour boiling water over morels and let stand 20 minutes, or until morels are soft. Remove morels, reserving soaking liquid, and in a small saucepan simmer morels in Madeira, covered, 5 minutes. Add morel mixture to consommé. Let reserved soaking liquid settle and slowly pour it into consommé, being careful to leave last tablespoon (containing sediment) in bowl. Simmer consommé, covered, 3 minutes and cool to room temperature. Consommé may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring consommé to room temperature before proceeding.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. and have ready six 12-ounce "truffle soup bowls" or 9- to 10-ounce ovenproof ramekins, each measuring 3 1/2 to 4 inches across top. Divide consommé, including morels, and chives among bowls or ramekins.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 sheet puff pastry into a 12-cinch square and with a round cutter at least 3/4-inch larger than diameter of bowls cut out 4 rounds. Roll out second puff-pastry sheet and cut out 2 more rounds in same manner. Brush any excess flour from both sides of rounds.
• Working with 1 pastry round at a time, brush a 1/2-inch-wide border of egg wash around pastry edges and invert pastry rounds over bowls or ramekins, carefully stretching 1/2 inch down side and pressing to seal.
• When all bowls or ramekins are covered with pastry, brush tops with remaining egg wash. Pastry-covered consommé may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled. (Pastry will not rise quite as high when going straight from refrigerator to oven.) Arrange bowls or ramekins on a large baking sheet and bake consommé in middle of oven until pastry "hats" are puffed and golden, 12 to 18 minutes.

MUSHROOM CONSOMMé RECIPE - (3/5)

Steps:

• 1 In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and celery, cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms and thyme; cook until mushrooms are tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Add porcinis (with soaking liquid), water and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 to 11/2 hours, or until reduced to 8_cups (2 L). 2 Strain stock through a strainer, pressing on mushrooms to release all their liquid. Pour into saucepan and keep warm. Garnish with sautéed sliced shiitakes, chanterelles or enoki mushrooms, a sprinkle of chives and a splash of brandy.

MUSHROOM CONSOMME WITH MORELS AND PASTRY "HATS"

Steps:

• Simmer white mushrooms, onions, water, and 1 tsp salt in a 6-qt stockpot, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.
• Strain mushroom mixture through a large sieve lined with a damp paper towel into a large saucepan, pressing gently on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Mushroom mixture should yield about 4 cups consommé. (If less, add water; if too much, boil consommé until it is reduced to 4 cups.) Discard solids. Season consommé with salt and pepper.
• Pour boiling water over morels in a small bowl and soak until morels are softened, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer morels with a slotted spoon to a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press on morels with back of spoon to remove liquid, then add liquid from morels to soaking liquid and reserve.
• Rinse morels to remove any grit, then transfer to a small saucepan and add Madeira. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes.
• Add morels and Madeira to consommé in saucepan. Let reserved soaking liquid settle, then slowly pour into consommé, being careful to leave last tablespoon (containing sediment) in bowl.
• Add chives to consommé and simmer, covered, 3 minutes, then chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 hour.
• If pastry comes as 1 sheet, cut crosswise in half. Roll out each piece of pastry into a 13-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Chill on baking sheets until firm, about 1 hour.
• Cut out 3 rounds from each sheet of puff pastry using template. Brush any excess flour from both sides of pastry rounds. Brush tops with some of beaten egg. Chill pastry rounds on baking sheets until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
• Divide cold soup among bowls. (Do not chill soup in bowls.) Lightly beat yolk, then brush around edge and down side of each bowl (a 1/2-inch-wide strip). Working quickly, place each pastry round over a bowl and pull slightly so pastry is taut. Press edge down against side of bowl to seal tightly.
• When all bowls are covered with pastry, arrange in a large 4-sided sheet pan and bake until pastry is puffed and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.