Porcini Soup with Mushrooms and Leeks

Soup

German chef Manuel Ulrich from the 1 Michelin-star restaurant Ösch Noir serves a fine porcini mushroom soup. When porcini are in season, this is the ideal dish to make to celebrate their unique flavour and texture.

Manuel Ulrich

For the soup

Ingredients (4 servings)
30	g	dried porcini mushrooms
350	g	fresh porcini mushrooms, chopped
50	g	brown button mushrooms, chopped
40	g	shallots, chopped
40	g	leek, chopped
3	handful	garlic, chopped
30	g	butter
50	ml	white wine
50	ml	white Port wine
30	ml	Madeira
750	ml	vegetable stock
150	ml	double cream
2	teaspoon(s)	picked thyme leaves
		salt
		pepper
1	pinch(es)	sugar
1	splash(es)	Chardonnay vinegar

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 200ml hot water for 15 minutes. Season the fresh porcini and button mushrooms with salt and roast them in the oven for 20–25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a pan and gently cook the shallots, leek and garlic.
Squeeze the soaked porcini mushrooms dry (reserve the mushroom stock). Add the roasted and soaked mushrooms to the pan then pour in the white wine, white Port and Madeira and cook over a high heat, stirring, until the liquid is reduced.
Add the vegetable stock and half of the reserved mushroom stock (save the rest for the pickled mushrooms, below), turn down the heat and continue to simmer.
Towards the end of the cooking time, add the cream and thyme leaves.
Use a hand-held blender to blend the soup until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into the cleaned pan.
To finish, season with salt, pepper, sugar and a little Chardonnay vinegar and blend again until frothy.

For the mushroom balls

Ingredients (4 servings)
150	g	porcini mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
100	g	button mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
30	g	shallots, finely chopped
40	g	butter
20	ml	Madeira
2	handful	garlic, finely chopped
		salt
		pepper
2	teaspoon(s)	picked thyme leaves
100	g	flour, for breading
2		eggs, lightly beaten, for breading
100	g	breadcrumbs, for breading
		oil, for frying

Heat the butter in a pan, then gently cook the shallots, stirring, until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the garlic for the last minute of cooking.
Pour in the Madeira and boil until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the thyme leaves, season with salt and pepper and leave the mixture to cool.
When cool, divide the mixture into equal portions, about the size of a walnut, and form into balls.
Dip the balls first into the flour, then into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs to coat.
Heat the oil in a deep pan until a breadcrumb sizzles when added. Fry the mushroom balls in batches and drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

For the leeks

Ingredients (4 servings)
200	g	leeks, cleaned and cut into fine julienne
30	g	butter
		baby leeks
		salt
1	pinch(es)	sugar
	splash(es)	lemon juice

Heat the butter in a pan, add the juilenned leeks and sauté, adding a splash or two of water, until slightly al dente.
Halve the baby leeks lengthwise and cut into segments.
Char these with a cook's blowtorch. Season with salt, sugar and a little lemon juice.

For the pickled beech mushrooms

Ingredients (4 servings)
50	g	beech (shimeji) mushrooms, trimmed
100	ml	dried mushroom stock (from soup, above)
10	ml	aged soya sauce

Bring the mushroom stock to the boil with the soy sauce.
Add the beech mushrooms, turn off the heat and leave to infuse briefly. The mushrooms can then be used immediately or preserved in a jar.

For the garnish and to serve

Ingredients (4 servings)
75	g	porcini mushrooms, halved lengthwise
75	g	button mushrooms, sliced
4		spring onions, sliced
1	tablespoon(s)	butter

Heat the butter in a pan. Score the cut sides of the porcini mushrooms into a lattice pattern using the tip of a sharp knife. Cook the porcini in the butter until golden.
Pour the soup into bowls and serve with the mushroom balls, leeks, pickled beech mushrooms and browned porcini.
Garnish with the raw sliced mushrooms and the sliced spring onion.

Manuel Ulrich

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