Wild Mushroom Bisque

Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 4 lbs mushrooms
• 1 head celery, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 leeks, parts chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 2 lbs unsalted butter
• 1 lb flour
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 4 ounces madeira wine
• 4 ounces cognac
• 2 lbs lump crabmeat
• 1 lb shiitake mushroom, sliced thin

Recipe

• 1 make a mushroom stock by sautéing the mushrooms, onions, leeks, and garlic in ½ lb butter over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
• 2 add chicken stock, parsley stems, thyme, black pepper and bay leaves and simmer over medium heat for 1.5 hours.
• 3 let 1 lb butter stand at room temperature until soft and then mix butter with 1 lb flour to make a buerre manie.
• 4 strain the mushroom stock after 1 ½ hours cooking time, press on the ingredients to get all the juices and flavor out.
• 5 in a large pot combine the mushroom stock and cream, and bring to a simmer.
• 6 add the buerre manie a little at a time to thicken the soup, this should be done off the heat.
• 7 add about ¾ of the flour mixture, blending very well.
• 8 return to the heat and slowly bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 9 if the soup needs to be thicker add a little more of the buerre manie to adjust.
• 10 add cognac and madeira to finish.
• 11 sauté 2 lbs crabmeat in 3 oz butter and add to the soup.
• 12 sauté the 1 lb of shiitake mushrooms in 3 oz butter and add to the soup.
• 13 serve to 20 very happy people!