For a real comforting winter warmer, try this delicious Wild Forest Mushroom Chowder from Kevin Dundon at Dunbrody House. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not serve it in a bread bowl for added heartiness. Satisfaction is guaranteed.
Wild Forest Mushroom Chowder
Serves 4-6
For a real wow factor serve this soup in a brown soda bread container as shown in the picture
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
125g/4 ½ oz butter, diced (at room temperature)
150g/5oz onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
550g/1 ¼ lb forest mushrooms, chopped (such as chanterelle, oyster and shiitake)
120ml/4 fl oz white wine
900ml/1 ½ pints vegetable stock or water
150ml/ ¼ pint cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
torn flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Method:
Heat a heavy-based pan and add the olive oil and a knob of the butter. Once the butter is foaming, tip in the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook slowly for 4-5 minutes until tender but not coloured. Take out and reserve some of the mushroom mixture to use as a garnish.
Add the wine to the pan and allow to evaporate until reduced by half, then season to taste. Add the vegetable stock or water, stirring to combine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until slightly reduced and all the flavours have had the chance to infuse.
Stir the cream into the pan and leave to simmer for another few minutes, then transfer to a food processor or liquidiser and whizz to a purée.
To serve, remove the soup from the heat and whisk in the remaining butter.
Season to taste and ladle into warmed serving bowls, then garnish with the reserved mushrooms and the torn flat-leaf parsley.
Brown Bread Mix :
350g/12oz wholemeal flour
50g/2oz plain flour
50g/2oz porridge oats
2 level tsp bread soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
about 500ml/18fl oz buttermilk
1 dessertspoon of sunflower oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3
Put the flours, sieved bread soda, salt and porridge oats into a large mixing bowl and mix them well.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs together with the oil and add to the dry mixture.
Next mix in the buttermilk and get the mix to a “sloppy” consistency.
Lightly dust the insides of four heatproof serving bowls. Divide one quantity of my brown bread into four and drop into the bowls, then bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until well risen and golden brown. Leave to cool, then cut off the tops and scoop out the insides, leaving a layer of bread from the crust before ladling in the soup to serve.
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Longueville's Award-Winning Cider and Walnut Brown Bread