So many variates of mushrooms are now available to everyone, whether you get them from a farm shop or order them online. I was recently back home in Devon and there is a farm shop that specialises in growing mushrooms. It’s great as where they grow them they have windows and information about them so all the customers can go and have a look. It was fascinating. I bought some hen of the woods as I hadn’t had them before. I also bought a few other varieties and lots of Devon goodies from the farm shop as I couldn’t resist. I had to test the best way to cook them for the soup and they definitely tasted better fried first and then added to the stock. They are very earthy with a very slight bitter flavour. The texture is gorgeous lovely and meaty. They are delicious and we’re superb in the soup.

Ingredients

• Clump of hen of the woods mushrooms
• 1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• 8 dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated and juice kept
• 300ml mushroom or beef stock
• Sprig of rosemary
• Sprig of thyme
• Butter for frying
• Sea salt and fresh black pepper

Directions

1. Add a knob of butter in a pan and heat over a medium heat. Gently tear in the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. In the same pan melt another knob of butter. Add the onion and cook until softened for around 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
3. Add the cooked mushrooms, porcini mushrooms and their hydration juice, stock, rosemary and thyme. Bring to the boil then on a rapid simmer reduce the soup by half.
4. Once reduced have a taste and season. Finish off by adding a knob of butter to make it nice and glossy. 😊