A soup inspired by Princess Diana fave
Chefs share their recipes and stories behind them in Canada’s 100 Best
In Jacob Richler’s new food magazine Canada’s100 Best, the food critic and editor-in-chief asked top chefs for a favourite recipe and the story that makes it significant in their lives.
The recipes are not necessarily the fabulous, fussy type that drive patrons to Splendido or Buca or Canoe: or Edulis or Nota Bene or Bar Isabel — Toronto establishments that all made Richler’s top 10 list of 100 best restaurants, released in a separate issue in the spring.
“Normally when you ask a chef for a recipe they’ll just send along whatever’s handy. And that usually means a restaurant recipe that’s current and designed to impress — and probably confound — the home cook,” Richler said.
“I asked the chefs to give me important recipes from their past, as far as they wanted to go, even to childhood, or whenever it was they first started cooking thoughtfully.”
These meals have a personal provenance: Nota Bene’s chef-owner Jason Lee chose a shrimp toast from his boyhood memories of tea time in Mauritius. Canoe’s executive chef John Horne offered a take on the French onion soup he would make as a child with his mother. Bar Isabel’s chefs de cuisine Keenan McVey and Ryan Baddeley wrote about their first experience eating seafood pintxos for breakfast during a scouting trip to Spain.
Langdon Hall’s executive chef Jason Bangerter first debuted his recipe for Royal Truffle Soup at Toron- to’s Auberge du Pommier, where he was chef nearly a decade ago.
Guests now ask for it at Langdon Hall, the self-proclaimed “mushroom freak” told the magazine.
Bangerter trained at George Brown College chef school and the King Edward Hotel. He later worked for Anton Mosimann, official caterer for the British royal family, who made a mushroom risotto loved by Princess Diana that was served to guests at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding reception. This soup is a take on that special dish.
Royal Truffle Soup with Truffle Foam and Parmesan Shortbread
Star Tested Purists and home chefs are advised to use real truffle oil, which is pricey and can be tough to source. The Star tested this recipe using truffle-infused olive oil.
Shortbread: 3/4 cup (185 mL) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold unsalted butter, diced 1/2 cup (125 mL) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese Salt and pepper
Soup: 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1 cup (250 mL) sliced white onion 1 cup (250 mL) sliced leek, white part only 1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced, peeled celery 6 cloves garlic, crushed 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only 5 cups (1.25 L) sliced Portobello mushroom 1 cup (250 mL) Madeira, fortified wine 900 mL (1 carton) vegetable stock 4 tbsp (60 mL) cold unsalted butter, diced 3 tbsp (45 mL) truffle oil Truffle cream: 1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream 1 tsp (5 mL) truffle oil Minced chives Salt
For shortbread, in a medium mixing bowl combine flour, butter, cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
Mix with your fingers until combined and dough can be compressed into a ball without falling apart.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Transfer to floured work surface and roll out with floured rolling pin until dough is 1/4 inch (50 mm) thick.
Use cookie cutter to make rounds; transfer to cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and bake in 360 F (180 C) oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
For soup, in a medium-size stock pot over medium-low heat, combine olive oil, onion, leek, celery, garlic and thyme. Cook until vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their juices. Reduce until most liquid is gone, about 15 minutes.
Add Madeira, increase heat to medium and deglaze until two-thirds of wine has evaporated.
Add stock, reduce heat to medium low and reduce stock until one-third of the liquid has evaporated.
Remove from heat and let cool only slightly.
While still hot but not boiling, transfer in batches to a blender. Blend on lowest speed.
Add butter and truffle oil alternately until mushroom mixture is pureed.
Pass soup through a mesh strainer. If puree is too thick add more stock or water. Salt and pepper to taste.
For truffle cream, in a medium size bowl, whip cream with a hand beater until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Whisk in truffle oil and minced chives.
Add a dollop of truffle cream to each portion of soup when serving.
Makes six servings of soup and 12 shortbread cookies. zmcknight@thestar.ca