Ingredients
for the velute
4 cups chicken stock (low sodium, if store bought)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
for the soup
1 pound fresh chanterelles
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup cream
splash of brandy
salt and pepper to taste
for the mushroom saute
2 lardons smokey hard bacon (thick cut breakfast bacon may work in a pinch), diced
1/2 pound small, good quality fresh chanterelles
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, minced
Directions
Make the veloute. Heat the stock to a bare simmer. In another pot, heat the butter until frothing and stir in the flour. Stirring all the while, let this cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Do not let it brown. Whisk the hot stock into the roux and let this simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. You want it to slowly cook down by at least 1/3 and be silky looking. While the veloute is simmering, make the mushroom base. Melt the butter in a saute pan, add the mushrooms and sweat them with a touch of salt (do not spice the mushrooms at this point — this little bit of salt is just to pull out the water). Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms give up their water. Add the brandy and turn the heat up to high for just a minute. Cook until the brandy smell is nearly gone. Buzz the mushroom base into a puree in a food processor.
When the veloute is ready, add the mushroom puree and stir well to combine. Cook this at a bare simmer for 10 minutes. Season at the end of this simmer.
Meanwhile, create your saute. In a saute pan over medium heat, render the bacon and then add your small (or cut small) chanterelles. Add your salt and pepper.
To finish the soup, turn off the heat and whisk in the cream. Add the sauteed chanterelles and garnish with fresh parsley.