Mushroom soup

I'm beginning to really enjoy food styling. Playing with textures and different backgrounds is really fun and it's challenging to get the shot right before things start mixing together and your pretty composition starts to become a bit of a mess. So I've been setting myself weekly projects and this week I did a mushroom soup. I love mushrooms. This one tastes really good but you only need a very small serve as its flavour is quite strong. It makes a perfect starter. If you can't find chestnut or king mushrooms then it's fine to any other European mushroom.

Mushroom soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 70gm butter, coarsely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 6 large field mushrooms, coarsely chopped

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock

• 80ml manzanilla sherry

• 60gm (1/4 cup) double cream

• 50gm each chestnut mushrooms and thickly sliced king brown mushrooms to serve

Heat olive oil and 50gm butter in a saucepan over high heat until butter starts to foam. Add garlic and field mushrooms and stir continuously until mushrooms are just golden and tender - about 5-10 mins. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Add stock and sherry and cook until mushrooms are really tender - about 15-20 mins. Add cream and process in blender until smooth. Season to taste. Heat remaining butter in a large frying pan over high heat until butter begins to foam. Add chestnut and king brown mushrooms and cook until golden and tender - about 3-5 mins. Serve soup hot, topped with crème fraîche and sautéed mushrooms. Serves 4.

{ via gourmet traveller }