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My Cream of Mushroom Soup

Source of Recipe

From "Real Cajun" by Donald Link


Recipe Introduction

"After reading countless cookbooks from local banks, churches, schools, and cherished family recipe collections, I was truly stunned to discover how many recipes call for a can of cream of mushroom soup. I have eaten plenty of these dishes, and they have all been wonderful. In fact, every Christmas my mother-in-law makes her scalloped potatoes with canned cream of mushroom soup, and plain old Cheddar cheese, and it is amazing. My version of cream of mushroom really does not take too long to make, and it is so much better. The real secret behind the cream of mushroom soup phenomenon is the reduction of chicken broth and mushrooms. They add great depth to a dish and blend beautifully with the cream and cheese to create a super-decadent richness that can't be beat."

List of Ingredients

◦  ½ pound shiitake or cremini mushrooms, stemmed
◦  6 tablespoons (¾ stick) butter
◦  1 medium onion, finely chopped
◦  2 teaspoons salt
◦  1 teaspoon ground black pepper
◦  1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried
◦  2½ cups chicken broth
◦  ½ cup all-purpose flour
◦  ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
◦  2½ cups heavy cream


Recipe

Thinly slice the mushrooms and then finely chop the slices.
Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter; when it starts to foam, add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to take on a golden brown color and all the moisture has cooked off. (For the best flavor, it's essential to get a good sear and color on the mushrooms. If the mushrooms begin to stick to the pan a little, that's good as long as they don't turn black and burn. If the bottom of the pan starts to get too dark before you are ready for the next step, just add a little chicken broth or water and whatever is stuck will come right off the bottom of the pan.)

Add the onion, salt, pepper, and thyme and cook 5 minutes more, until the onion is soft. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and reduce liquid by at least two-thirds over medium heat — there should only be about ¾ cup of liquid left in the pan.

Transfer the liquid to a medium saucepan. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and gently stir in over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour and the nutmeg. Stir for 2 minutes and add the cream. Cook over low heat for 7 minutes, then let cool.


Makes 4 cups