Chantrelle Mushroom Soup

Private Chef Jeff Nappe, based out of New Jersey, curates beautiful elegant dishes. Using techniques and ingredients used in different cultures such as Indian, Norwegian and Japanese. Understanding textural, visual and taste appeal, you can count on New Jersey Resident & Chef, Jeff, to create your new favorite dish.

Here you have a deeply flavored risotto with a wonderful aroma and richness which leaves you incredibly satisfied. The essence of this dish is the mushrooms paired with gruyere, but feel free to garnish this dish additionally with the reduced jus from page 62 for an added dimension of umami.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Arborio rice, 1 c

Unsalted butter, 1/2 stick

Evoo, 1 tbsp

Salt, 1 tsp

Unsalted butter, 1/2 stick

AP flour, 1 tsp

Whole milk, 1/2 c

Heavy cream, 1/2 c

Pecorino romano, 1/2 c

Gruyere, 1 c

Chanterelle mushrooms, 2 c

Parsley, 1/2 c

Shaved almonds, toasted, 1/2 c

Low sodium chicken stock, 1/4 c

Salt, 1 tsp

Not: Add 1/2 c nutritional yeast for an even nuttier flavor.

Procedure:

1-In a large pot you would use for rice, put half a stick of butter in the pan with a medium high flame until butter is browned. .
Drop in 1 heaping cup of arborio rice with a pinch of salt. Lower the flame to medium low and gently toss the rice with a spatula. Allow the rice to toast in the brown butter for 30 seconds to a minute.
Add 3 c of water in to the risotto and stir. Raise flame to medium high and bring to a boil.
Risotto should take at least 15 to 20 minutes to become right consistency. Using a lid will make the risotto cook faster but you may have to add more water by the 1/2 c into your risotto to achieve your desired firmness.
Set oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle mushrooms with oil and bake for 20 minutes on a sheet tray lined with parchment. Set aside.
Using a medium saucepan set flame to medium high, drop in a 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, allow to brown, then add 1 tsp AP flour. Stir, and once it starts bubbling after about 1 minute, add 1/2 c of whole milk and 1/2 c of heavy cream. Once the mixture is just on the verge of boiling, add 1/2 c grated pecorino romano and 1 c gruyere. Allow up to 20 minutes to reduce. Keep flame on medium.
Drizzle shaved almond with oil and bake at 350 degrees on a sheet tray lined with parchment for 4-6 minutes or until golden color. They will burn very easily so watch them closely.
In a large saucepan on medium-low heat, pour in the cooked risotto along with the gruyere bechamel. Add 1/2 c baked almonds, 2 c roasted chanterelle mushrooms, 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 c low sodium chicken stock, and 1 tsp salt. Stir gently fully combining the ingredients. Serve immediately.

Note: Personally I enjoy my risotto soupy and soft so there is no shame in adding more water in the beginning rather than feeding the risotto a cup of water every few minutes and micro managing it. You will probably need more liquid at the end anyway.

*Note-Risotto is one of those dishes where different chefs serve it different ways. I have always leaned toward a saucy and soft-mushy risotto which falls flat into the plate or bowl. Stay away from clumpy risottos piled high, they are either lacking sauce or not being served hot enough from my experience. It is a dish which is not meant to be reheated…ever. All of my risottos revolve around making some specific version of a bechamel, which is usually combined with the risotto in the recipes final steps and served immediately.

This recipe is just one of the many recipes that can be found in Chef Jeff Nappe’s book, Tastings, which can be found on Amazon or by clicking the link below.