Porcini Mushroom Bisque

 

Last time I dined at Geronimos in Santa Fe, we were served a delicious Amuse Bouche of Porcini Mushroom Bisque.  Once back home, I came up with this recipe which I think is quite delicious with a lot of depth.  Enjoy!

Porcini Mushroom Bisque 

Steep Porcini:
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3/4 cup dry sherry

Bisque:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
6 shallots, minced (3/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup crème fraîche
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


Mushrooms: Rinse the porcinis under running water. Bring sherry to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add porcinis. Let sit for 10 minutes until soft. Drain the mushrooms and reserve liquid. Pass the sherry through a fine strainer to remove any bits of dirt. Reserve.

Mix Ingredients: Melt butter in large stock pot over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, stir in the flour; cook 2 minutes. Add shallots and sauté, stirring for about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme and nutmeg; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Increase heat to medium. Add sliced mushrooms and soaked porcini mushrooms. Stir. Add the stock, strained sherry and salt; cover and bring to a boil; simmer, covered until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.

Puree Soup: Fill a blender half full with the soup mixture. Working in batches, purée until smooth, 2 minutes a batch.  Whisk in the lemon juice and crème fraîche.

Garnish the top of the soup with a small dollop of crème fraîche.

How to make crème fraîche:
In a bowl, whisk together one part sour cream and one part heavy cream.
Let sit on the counter overnight.  Refrigerate the next day.

 

 

 

 FYI - I order my "Funghi Porcini Secchi" from

           www.gustiamo.com  

           A great suppler of many Italian products.

 

                     Bon Appetit! 

The Palace Carousel in San Sebastián

One of my favorite places is San Sebastián, Spain.  The Palace Carousel is exceptionally special!  Not far from were we stay, The Hotel Londres y Inglaterra, it is fun to sit on one of the many benches lining the promenade and watch the children and families revel in the excitement of riding on the carousel.

This carousel is a replica of its 1900 predecessor and was set up in Donostia around 1998 to evoke that golden era in which the city offered a whole world of attractions to visitors.

This merry-go-round catches the attention of children and adults alike.  Spend some time observing every detail. 

 

With ponies, airplanes, dolphins, cars, swans, carriages, giraffes and tigers, 

 

the two levels of this carousel are imbued with the Belle Époque style, a period of peace and prosperity approximately between 1871 and 1914.

Under the hand-painted roof, we find representations of paintings by famous painters such as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Lautrec, Vallotton, Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Picasso, Sisley, Pisarro, Renoir and Degas, and at the very top of the carousel, a beautiful pony watches out across the city.  Artists of the mid 1800's to early 1900's representing styles such as Impressionism and modernism.

Degas 

Manet

 

The original Manet 

 Boating - 1874

 

Vallotton

Renoir

& 

Lautrec 

The original  Lautrec 

The Divan Japonais - 1892 

Cezanne

Monet
 

The original Monet 

 Studio Boat -  1874

Pissarro

 

Picasso

 The original Picasso  

Los Baineuses - The Bathers - 1918 

The carousel has been restored on several occasions to reflect each new era. In its earliest days the carousel had no electrical power and was manually rotated by an operator in the center. As the years progressed, electricity became the norm in towns and cities and at the beginning of the 1940s, when the Civil War had ended, a powerful electrical motor was installed. This system was active until the year 2000.

In 2008 the carousel was completely restored using the most up-to-date technology and a unique decorative style was brought in to reflect the city of San Sebastián. 

 

The carousel was painted by hand and features illustrations taken from old photos of Donostia at the turn of the century.

The sun setting on the large building which is the City Hall (with the carousel in the foreground).  It was once the home of the Gran Casino from the 1st of July of 1897 to 1924 when gambling was prohibited.  It was also built during the Belle Époque period.  

 

Everything around La Concha Bay's promenade so is captivating.  A special place to be.

 

 

The Best Focaccia!

I have been neglectful on writing on my Blog so I thought I would share my Focaccia recipe which I am so addicted to.  

I love using this substantial Focaccia Pan that I purchased at the King Arthur Baking Company.  It is made out of aluminum and measures 9" x 9" x 2".  I actually went back to the store and bought another one. 

 

RECIPE:

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

1/4 plus cup extra-virgin olive oil 

2 teaspoons flaky sea salt (like Maldon) 

 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar

 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon)

Using a Kitchen Aid Mixer with the dough hook, stir together the flour and yeast.   Add the water and 1 tablespoon of the oil to the flour.  Mix for a few minutes until a dough forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or until risen nicely.  

Sprinkle dough with the 2 teaspoons of sea salt.  With the dough hook, mix for a few minutes.  Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. 

Generously oil the focaccia pan and place a 3" to 4" x 16" strip of parchment paper across the center of the pan, leaving a few inches of overhang on the two sides.

Carefully lift the dough out of the bowl and place in the pan, using your fingers to spread the dough out to the edges.   Generously drizzle the olive oil over the foccacia and use a brush to evenly distribute it.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour or two.   

 

Drizzle more oil if desired.  Using your finger, evenly pock indentations into the dough.  Evenly sprinkle with the rosemary, turbinado sugar and sea salt.  

 

Bake at 475 for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly brown in the highest spots.  Remove the focaccia from the oven.  Using the parchment paper tabs, lift the focaccia out of the pan.  Turn off the oven.  Place the focaccia directly on the oven's lower rack for 5 to 7 minutes so the sides will crisp up.

 

I like to cut 3/4" strips, toast them and spread with a little bit of butter.  So, so good. 

My favorite variation of this focaccia is to add slices of peaches or plums when in season.  Unpeeled and cut into 1/2" wedges.  It is delicious served with a creamy Cambozola cheese.

Next time, I am thinking about topping the focaccia with caramelized onions, strips of jalapenos and a little Manchego or Chihuahua cheese.

 

I know it is time consuming with all the different risings, but it is well worth it. 

 

* The Turbinado sugar just adds another dimension to all the flavors.

* If you do not have a 9" square pan, a 10" cast-iron skillet will work. 

* Your rising environment will impact how long it takes for your dough to rise. 

* Many recipes call for kneading the dough by hand, I find using my Kitchen Aid easier and more efficient.   

 

BON APPETIT!