Cream of Mushroom Soup

Another recipe from Julia Child. I used half common crimini and half "fried chicken" mushrooms that we picked up from the farmers' market on the weekend. I don't know why they call them "fried chicken" mushrooms (and neither did the vendor)!

This produces a really rich and warm soup with good meaty bits of mushroom for bite. Make sure to skim the soup to remove any film that collects at the surface. You'll end up with a much prettier end result if you take the few moments to do it.

Serves 6-8

• 5 tbspn butter
• 3 tbspn flour
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• 6 cups white, chicken, or vegetable stock (boiling)
• 2 parsley sprigs
• 1/3 bay leaf
• 1/8 tspn thyme
• Stems from 1 lb. fresh mushrooms (roughly cut)
• Heads from 1 lb. fresh mushrooms (thinly sliced)
• 1 tpsn lemon juice
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Slowly cook the onions in 3 tbpsn of butter until they are tender and translucent. Add the flour and cook for another few minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Take the onions off heat and add boiling stock, blending it with the flour. Add the mushroom stems and season to taste.

Simmer this, partially covered, for at least 20 minutes. Skim off cruft that floats to the surface. Strain the liquid through a sieve and press the juices out of the stems. Discard the stems, then return the liquid to the pan.

In a separate saucepan, melt 2 tbspn of butter. Once foaming, add mushroom caps, a pinch of salt, and lemon juice. Cover this and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Pour the mushrooms and all juices into the main soup liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Beat together the egg yolks and cream. Very slowly, add a spoonful of the yolk/cream mixture to the soup. Doing this too quickly can curdle the yolks, so you'll need to let it integrate with time. Let the completed soup heat for a few minutes, but do not let it come to a simmer.

If desired, add a little butter as a final step before serving.

From: "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck