Pat Branning’s Carolina Cooking: Mad about mushrooms
Pat Branning’s Carolina Cooking
Painting is by Peter Rolfe and the title is “Port Republic Street” in downtown Beaufort.
Mushrooms used to be one item I could leave out of my grocery cart. I think I just didn’t have any real good idea what to do with them. Then I tasted this incredible mushroom soup – unlike any of the tasteless ones I’d had before. This recipe is a luxurious, yet earthy, grand tribute to the mushroom. This soup will take center stage for just about any meal you wish to serve.
Creamy Mushroom Soup
16 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (baby Portobello)
1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons butter, divided
2 stalks celery, diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
7 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup chopped parsleyHeat oil and 4 tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until softened. Add remaining butter, thyme and mushrooms, and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper.
Remove a few mushroom slices and set aside to reserve for a garnish. Add flour, and stir forcefully until completely combined and cook another 3 minutes or until the flour turns a light blond color. Add stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
Let simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Remove from heat, and puree soup until smooth by using either an immersion blender or a food processor. Return pureed soup to heat. Add cream and parsley; heat through. Taste and season again with salt and pepper. Serve with reserved mushrooms as garnish.
Yields: 6 servings.
Note: When storing mushrooms, make sure they can breathe. This means no zip-top bags. The best way to store them is in a paper bag in the refrigerator.
If you love mushrooms or even if you don’t, this Mediterranean Strata is absolutely delicious.
Mediterranean Strata
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1 large leek, chopped
1 (16 oounces) package fresh spinach
1 tablespoon water
2 loaves French bread, cubed
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 eggs
2½ cups milk
¾ cup white wine
½ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepperHeat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the mushrooms and sauté until brown. Add the leek and sauté until tender.
Combine the spinach with the water in a shallow microwave safe dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on High for 2 minutes or just until wilted. Drain.
Layer the bread cubes, mushroom mixture, spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese and mozzarella cheese in a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.
Combine the eggs, milk, wine, basil, granulated garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix until well combined. Pour over the layers in the baking dish and press with the back of a wooden spoon to compress the layers and saturate the bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours or overnight.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until bubbly and light brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Pat Branning, the former women’s editor for WSB, Atlanta, is food editor for The Beaufort Tribune. She and her husband, Cloide, work together to help the underserved and uninsured in health care through a nonprofit organization called Wellness4America. Her new book of Lowcountry recipes, “Shrimp, Collards and Grits, recipes from the creeks and gardens of the South Carolina Lowcountry”, is available at bookstores in Beaufort and on Hilton Head. The website is www.mycarolinacooking.com.
Click here for more information about Pat Branning’s new cookbook.
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- Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: This Valentine dinner
- Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: Soup’s On!
- Pat Branning’s Carolina Cooking: Lighter foods for hotter days
- Pat Branning’s Carolina Cooking: Summer survival with Seared Scallop Salad
- Pat Branning’s Carolina cooking: Christmas party time hors d’oeuvres
