Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- about 500g (1lb 2oz) wild and cultivated mushrooms
- 25g (1oz) butter, plus an extra knob, for frying
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 small potato, peeled and diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 750ml (26fl oz) vegetable or chicken stock
- 250ml (9fl oz) dry cider
- 100ml (3½fl oz) double cream
- 75g (2½oz) blue cheese, plus a little extra to serve
- 1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped, to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Carefully prepare the mushrooms – you don’t have to be as precious with the trimming. For example, as long as the stalks are clean and free of soil they can go in. Likewise caps that might offend in a sauté, won’t once puréed. Set aside 100g (3½oz) of the most aesthetically pleasing fungi to fry off and garnish the soup at the end. Roughly chop the remainder.
Pull out your favourite soup pan, put it over a medium heat, add the butter and a splash of olive oil and allow to foam. Add the leek, potato, onion and garlic. Cook for 10–15 minutes, until the onion is soft but not coloured. Add the chopped mushrooms and thyme leaves, then season with a little salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then pour over the stock and cider and bring to a simmer. Cook for 12–15 minutes until everything is nice and tender. Remove from the heat and purée the soup until smooth and creamy. I find that a jug blender is the best tool for this job.
Return the soup to the pan. Add the cream and blue cheese and bring gently back to a simmer. Season to taste and keep warm on the lowest of heats.
Heat a medium frying pan over a high heat. Add a knob of butter and a splash more olive oil. Add the reserved mushrooms and sauté, tossing regularly, for 8–10 minutes, or until they are well cooked. Season the mushrooms to taste and keep warm. To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls and top with the fried mushrooms, a crumbling of blue cheese, a scattering of chopped parsley and a crack of black pepper.
