CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Serves: 6 to 8

■ 1 lb (454 g) fresh mushrooms

■ 1/3 cup (80 ml) butter

■ 1 medium onion, finely chopped

■ 3 tbsp (45 ml) flour

■ 6 cups (1.5 L) chicken stock Salt and freshly ground pepper Juice of 1/2 lemon

■ 2 egg yolks

■ 3/4 cup (180 ml) whipping cream Chopped fresh parsley

1. Slice mushroom caps and chop stems.

2. In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt half the butter and sauté onion until soft, but not browned, two to three minutes.

3. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, until frothy, about one minute. Then stir in the chicken stock, bring mixture to a boil and stir in the mushroom stems. Cover the pan by half, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 20 minutes.

4. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt remaining butter and add mushroom caps with a little salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Lower heat, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until juice runs from the mushrooms and they are wilted, eight to 10 minutes. Set aside.

5. Strain soup into a big bowl, pressing to extract all liquids. Discard solids. Pour liquid back into saucepan and add the cooked, sliced mushrooms with their liquid.

6. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice, and simmer 10 minutes. (Soup may be prepared up to this point two days ahead and refrigerated, covered, or frozen.)

7. Just before serving, heat soup to boiling point. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks with cream and stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons (45-60 ml) hot soup.

8. Remove from heat and whisk this mixture into the rest of the soup to thicken and enrich it.

(Do not heat soup again, as it will curdle.)

9. Serve soup hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley.