Recipe fic - mushrooms
I am borrowing curiouswombat's character of Tharhîwon for this; explanation of who he is and how he likely came to have the recipe in question can be found here.
Sérëdhiel is a creation of mine, the head of conservation for the Library of Imladris; after Elrond sails West, she and her staff undertake the task of packing the library for transport. It takes rather longer than anyone would have liked . . . .
The first batch made him laugh: "No, my dear silly elleth, you've left out the cream!"
The last pot he tasted four days before he sailed -- "Oh, well, that's something like a good Shire soup, but one can't expect elves to treat mushrooms properly" -- forgetting that he had written out the recipe for her in his own spidery hand.
When Sérëdhiel finally landed in Valinor, weary and grieving, she had not expected to find solace in a bowl of soup; the young ellon who made it accepted her thanks, and asked for tales of his great-uncle in lieu of payment.
Mushroom soup with hazelnut topping
Small handful dried wild mushrooms
500g/4 cups/18 ounces good quality mixed mushrooms, sliced
Large knob of butter
2 leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small handful fresh thyme
800ml/3 1/3 cups/27 fluid ounces chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbs marscapone/crème fraîche (optional, but quite tasty)
Salt and pepper
To serve:
3 tbs hazelnut or walnut oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt & pepper
Small handful whole hazelnuts
First, soak the dried mushrooms in enough boiling water to cover for at least 20 minutes.
In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium-high heat; add fresh mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften. Add the leeks, garlic, thyme and seasoning, and stir continuously- when the mushrooms are beginning to sweat, add the rehydrated mushrooms and their soaking water. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes, until the liquid in the pan has begun to reduce.
Reduce heat to medium; remove half of the mushrooms and run through a blender/food mill, then return them to the pan. Add stock, simmer on medium for 10 minutes; if using, add the marscarpone/crème fraîche, remove everything to a blender/use an immersion blender to liquify the soup, check the seasoning, and heat on a low to medium heat for a further 10 minutes.
In a small bowl or jug, combine lemon juice, oil and some salt and pepper; set aside
In a small, dry pan, toast the hazelnuts; remove to a pestle and mortar or a food processor and crush/chop them coarsely
Fill bowls with soup, drizzle on some of the oil and lemon mixture, and top with the hazelnuts.
Sérëdhiel is a creation of mine, the head of conservation for the Library of Imladris; after Elrond sails West, she and her staff undertake the task of packing the library for transport. It takes rather longer than anyone would have liked . . . .
The first batch made him laugh: "No, my dear silly elleth, you've left out the cream!"
The last pot he tasted four days before he sailed -- "Oh, well, that's something like a good Shire soup, but one can't expect elves to treat mushrooms properly" -- forgetting that he had written out the recipe for her in his own spidery hand.
When Sérëdhiel finally landed in Valinor, weary and grieving, she had not expected to find solace in a bowl of soup; the young ellon who made it accepted her thanks, and asked for tales of his great-uncle in lieu of payment.
Mushroom soup with hazelnut topping
Small handful dried wild mushrooms
500g/4 cups/18 ounces good quality mixed mushrooms, sliced
Large knob of butter
2 leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small handful fresh thyme
800ml/3 1/3 cups/27 fluid ounces chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbs marscapone/crème fraîche (optional, but quite tasty)
Salt and pepper
To serve:
3 tbs hazelnut or walnut oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt & pepper
Small handful whole hazelnuts
First, soak the dried mushrooms in enough boiling water to cover for at least 20 minutes.
In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium-high heat; add fresh mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften. Add the leeks, garlic, thyme and seasoning, and stir continuously- when the mushrooms are beginning to sweat, add the rehydrated mushrooms and their soaking water. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes, until the liquid in the pan has begun to reduce.
Reduce heat to medium; remove half of the mushrooms and run through a blender/food mill, then return them to the pan. Add stock, simmer on medium for 10 minutes; if using, add the marscarpone/crème fraîche, remove everything to a blender/use an immersion blender to liquify the soup, check the seasoning, and heat on a low to medium heat for a further 10 minutes.
In a small bowl or jug, combine lemon juice, oil and some salt and pepper; set aside
In a small, dry pan, toast the hazelnuts; remove to a pestle and mortar or a food processor and crush/chop them coarsely
Fill bowls with soup, drizzle on some of the oil and lemon mixture, and top with the hazelnuts.