Peppered wild mushroom soup

By: Rohan Anderson
From: A Year of Practiculture
Serves: 4
Photographer: Rohan Anderson & Kate Berry

It’s now cold enough to warrant the fire being lit. I’m wearing a few extra layers and the autumn rain has me dusting off my old Bean boots. It’s a pretty wondrous time of the year. It’s the season when I spend more time walking tracks in the forest, hunting for mushrooms. I make an effort to explore new territory, walking over hills I’ve never walked before, searching for new spots where the mushrooms are plentiful and the scenery pleasing. I love to take a rest on fallen logs blanketed in pine needles and browned oak leaves, and just sit and listen to the forest. The wind blowing gently high in the tree canopy above, the birds making busy all around – and the distant hum of two-stroke motorbikes completely ruining my serenity.

I love a good bruschetta with wild mushrooms, I love them stuffed and covered in melty cheese, in risotto and pasta, and especially in a heart-warming soup. When I’m out hunting autumn ducks and quail, a hot thermos of mushroom soup can brighten up a dreary autumn day. Just remember to pack the crusty bread to mop up all that goodness.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
2-3 tablespoons	olive oil
3	onions, chopped
4	garlic cloves, chopped
handful	rosemary, sage or thyme, (they all work well with these mushrooms)
50g	butter
500g	saffron milkcaps, chopped
500g	wood blewit mushrooms, chopped
1 litre	Home-made meat stock
1 teaspoon	freshly cracked mountain pepper berries
1 teaspoon	chilli powder
	salt, to taste
	pepper, to taste
250ml	pouring cream
	aged cheddar, grated, to serve
	freshly cracked black pepper, to serve

Method

Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and brown the onion and garlic. Add your herb of choice and cook for a minute or two to flavour the onion. Melt in the butter.
Add the mushrooms and stir until well softened, adding extra olive oil if needed. Once the mushrooms are well cooked, add the stock, mountain pepper berries and chilli powder, then simmer over medium heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little, then blitz to a soft purée with a handheld blender. Season with salt and pepper, then add the cream, return to the heat and simmer gently for a further 5 minutes.
Serve with cheese and cracked pepper.