Indulgent Velvety Mushroom Bisque

This recipe serves about eight, so don't be alarmed by the quantities. The base is one carton of mushroom broth and two of chicken stock. You'll need about a pound each of whatever mushrooms you want to use-- at least 3 lbs. total. I used large white button, cremini, and oyster. Other options would be porcini, enoki, maitake, matsutake, shiitake, chanterelle, portobella, or lobster mushrooms. Morels don't work in this recipe. Slice the mushrooms into thick slices and saute with 2 bay leaves, 5 sprigs of thyme, 1 large shallot, 1 small onion, and 5 cloves of garlic in butter. You want the mushrooms to take on some color, so don't add salt or they'll just get watery. In a large saute pan, make a roux of butter, flour, and cornstarch. I love the addition of duck fat, so if you can find it, substitute about tbsp of butter with rendered duck fat. I can't give exact measurements for the roux, since you'll know how much thickening you need. Just make sure you keep your fat and flour/cornstarch in equal amounts. You want the roux to cook on low to medium heat until it turns a chestnut color-- like a cafe au lait. I also took about 8 little baby yukon gold potatoes, boiled them as if making mashed potatoes, and then pulsed them in a blender with some of the broth & stock, and added them back to the soup base to add some texture. Take your sauteed mushrooms, and now that they are browned, cut them into smaller chunks. Combine everything into the soup base, and check your consistency. It can be anything from thin to chowder-- it's whatever you like best. Add salt and pepper to taste, and if you want to go all out (you're using duck fat, why stop now?) add a quart of heavy whipping cream. Make you remove the bay leaves and the thyme sprigs. I served the bisque with homemade breadsticks. (That recipe will also be posted soon!) The consensus from diners was that the soup was rich and satisfying, just enough to feel indulgent without tasting pretentious or inaccessible. I hope you love it as much as I did!