Fettuccine with fresh porcini mushrooms and crème fraîche

The best type of dinner is the one I can prepare quickly and not in the sense that I want to get it over with, even though sometimes that is the case, let’s not kid ourselves, but in the sense that there’s a certain satisfaction in cooking and eating something that’s special in less than half an hour.

I love this kind of meals during a busy workday when my energy levels are low and I can’t possibly bring myself to cook anything that requires too much of my attention or time, or on a Sunday when S and I have the whole day to ourselves and I don’t wish to spend too much time in the kitchen but rather at the dinner table with a glass of wine, some beautiful food and my partner’s company.

This is how this creamy fettuccine dish was created last Sunday; with the glorious porcini mushrooms, the kings of the mushrooms, crème fraîche and parmesan, shallots and garlic and some semi-sweet wine.

The earthy, nutty aromas that emanated from the pan while I was sautéing the porcini, tricked me into thinking I was cooking some sort of meat rather than mushrooms and led me to the realization that if I could have fresh porcini on a regular basis, I would consider becoming a vegetarian. Perhaps.

The crème fraîche added acidity to the dish, without masking the umami flavor of the mushrooms, whereas the salty parmesan took away the sharp edge from the crème fraîche, and the woody thyme added freshness. With a glass of semi-sweet white wine, it was a pretty special, and quick, Sunday meal.

PS. Last night I watched this movie and it was sweet and light and full of marvelous food, aromas and flavors. You have to watch it!

Fettuccine with fresh porcini mushrooms and crème fraîche

If you can’t find fresh porcini, use fresh chanterelles or girolles or any other wild mushrooms you can find.

Don’t wash or rinse the mushrooms because they will soak up all the water and lose their flavor; just scrub them lightly with a soft brush all over to get rid of the dirt. There are special mushroom brushes that you can use, but if you don’t have one, you can use a very soft, unused toothbrush.

You don’t want to cook the porcini to oblivion because you want them to retain that springy and delicate texture. Their meaty yet subtle flavor will shine through but you mustn’t overwhelm them with too many ingredients. You want to complement their flavor not overpower it.

Yield: enough for 2 hungry people

Ingredients
250-300 g dried fettuccine
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
200 g fresh porcini mushrooms, brushed and sliced thickly lengthwise
1 garlic clove, minced
100 ml semi-sweet white wine
150 g crème fraîche, full-fat
2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan, grated

Special equipment: colander, mushroom brush (optional), cheese grater


Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil over high heat and add the fettuccine. Cook until al dente (firm but not very hard) or cook to your liking. Reserve about 60 ml (¼ cup) of the pasta water and drain the fettuccine in a colander (but don’t shake the pasta), discarding the rest of the water.

While the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large, wide sauté pan (one that will fit the pasta as well) over medium heat and add the shallots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until they become translucent and very soft. Empty shallots and oil into a bowl, wipe the pan with some kitchen paper and heat the pan again over medium-high heat.
Lay the porcini in one layer in the pan and dry them out i.e. cook them until they release their juices and the juice evaporates, for a few minutes on each side, being careful not to burn them; moderate the heat so it’s not too high.

Season the porcini with salt and black pepper, add the garlic and 1 Tbsp olive oil and continue to fry on medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Return shallots and oil to the pan and mix well. Then deglaze with the wine. Oh the aroma! Scrape any bits that have stuck to the pan, that’s the good stuff!

Add the crème fraîche and some fresh thyme leaves, stir gently and leave to incorporate into the sauce over low heat. Add a little pasta water to thin the sauce out a bit if it’s too thick and add one last Tbsp of olive oil.

When the pasta is ready, add it to the pan and mix with the sauce.
Sprinkle with some more black pepper, the rest of the fresh thyme leaves, lots of grated parmesan and serve immediately.

For him

He makes me angry when he leaves his socks on the floor and his t-shirts on the dining room chairs. He infuriates me when he makes a mess in the kitchen whenever he prepares a sandwich. He annoys the heck out of me when he insists I can’t always be right on every single thing. He irritates me when he believes in me more than I could ever believe in myself. And that makes me love him even more.

I love the way I feel when I’m in his arms, like everything is alright in this world. I love the way he plays the guitar and how he inspires me to write music with him. I love the way he looks at me, like I’m the only woman on the face of the earth.

I never wait for Valentine’s Day to show him how I feel about him and I would never suggest to anyone to do that. Life is now. Life is our past and our future all wrapped into the present; into today. Time is fleeting and it’s never soon enough to show someone you love them.

I know how he likes to fall asleep. I know what makes him laugh. I know what makes him sad. I know how he takes his coffee. I know how he prefers his steak cooked. I know how he always wants to eat the crunchiest part of the potato.

I know what his favorite food is and I cook it for him every chance I get. Just like I did the other day. Not because it was Valentine’s Day, not because it was his birthday or a special occasion, but simply because I wanted to make him happy. To offer him something I knew he’d love.

A beautiful beef fillet steak with a chanterelle mushroom butter, flavored with garlic and herbs that slowly melted over the meat, and thin, very thin, fried potatoes with crispy edges and a soft center.

A match made in heaven of the perfectly cooked, succulent beef, the earthy, woody, golden chanterelles blended with thyme and parsley, the richness of the butter, and of course the fried potatoes, with my own little twist on them, a very thin rectangular cut that makes them delicate and perfectly delicious.

Beef Fillet Steaks with Chanterelle Mushroom Butter and Fried Potatoes

You can certainly use a rib-eye steak if you prefer it, but the tenderness of a fillet steak is unsurpassable. Choose a thick fillet steak, about 4 cm thick, as it will be juicier.

The way of cutting the potatoes is my own way of creating a different style of fried potatoes when I want something a little more special. I used a mandoline to cut them but you can also use a very sharp chef’s knife to do the job.

Yield: 2 main-course servings

Ingredients

for the mushroom butter
125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
100 g chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped in small pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (from 3-4 sprigs), chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

for the potatoes
3 large floury potatoes, about 1 kg
Olive oil or sunflower oil for frying
Salt

for the fillet steaks
2 beef or veal fillet steaks, 150-160 g each, with a 4 cm thickness (approximately)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Special equipment: mandoline (optional), heavy-bottomed or cast-iron skillet or sauté pan


Preparation

for the mushroom butter
In a medium-sized frying pan, add the olive oil and halved garlic clove and heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chanterelle mushrooms and sauté for 1-2 minutes until they soften. Add a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, mix with a spoon and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mushrooms to cool in the pan. Then, remove and discard the garlic.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the butter and mix it with a fork to soften it. Add the cooled mushrooms and the olive oil from the pan, the thyme and parsley and a little salt and pepper, and mix gently with a spoon. Cover with cling film and leave at room temperature until the beef fillet and potatoes are ready.

for the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them into a rectangular shape. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the potatoes into 2-3 mm-thick slices (cutting them on their longer side). Place them on kitchen paper in a single layer and pat them dry. This will help in the crisping up of their outer layer when frying. Leave them covered with the paper towels until you fry them.
It’s best if you fry the potatoes while the meat is cooking, since they take so little time to cook.

Heat the olive or sunflower oil in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. You can check if the oil is ready for frying by dropping in a 2.5 cm cube of white bread. If it browns in 60 seconds, it is ready, if it browns in less time then your oil is too hot and you should allow it to cool down. If you have a deep-fry thermometer or a deep-fryer, you should set it to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit.
Deep-fry the potatoes in batches (you don’t want to overcrowd the pan otherwise the slices will stick to one another and you’ll have a mass of potatoes instead of individual slices) for about 4 minutes or until they take on a golden-brown color. Be careful not to cook them too long because they'll become hard. Also be careful not to burn them because they are very thin and catch easily. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on plate covered with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. They should be crunchy and a little soft, not like potato chips. Sprinkle them with salt.

for the fillet steaks
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 1 hour before you want to cook them so they come to room temperature. Pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture which can stop the meat from caramelizing in the pan.
In a heavy-bottomed or cast-iron skillet or sauté pan (I use a cast-iron skillet), add the olive oil and heat over high heat. Season the steaks with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper on both sides. When the pan is very hot, add them to the pan, spaced apart. Cook them on medium-high heat on one side for 3 minutes and then flip them over and cook them for a further 2 minutes for medium-rare. Cook them more or less time according to how you like to eat your steaks. Bear in mind that the cooking times apply for steaks of aforementioned size and thickness. If your fillets are smaller/bigger or thinner/thicker than the ones indicated here then you'll need to adjust the cooking times.
Remove the steaks from the pan and place them on a large piece of aluminum foil. Cover the steaks with the foil and allow them to rest for 10 minutes. Resting the meat is very important because it relaxes and its juices spread equally throughout it. If you cut the meat straight after you've taken it off the heat, all the juices will run out instead of staying in and keeping the meat moist.

Serve the steaks, drizzled with the juices accumulated in the aluminum foil, with a good dollop of mushroom butter on top and the fried potatoes on the side, immediately.

You can keep the rest of the chanterelle mushroom butter in the fridge, covered well with plastic wrap for 1 day.

Running up that hill *

People can be hard on each other for no reason. No reason at all.
We all want to be loved, accepted and nurtured by our environment and the people we surround ourselves with, we all seek the same fundamental things in life and yet many times, we are out to get each other, to make each other feel bad or less of a person.

If we stopped and realized that we're all in this together, things would be so different.
Wouldn't the world be a better place if we were all kind to one another, smile to those around us, laugh at each other's jokes, help each other with what may seem trivial to us but know that to the other person is vital?

Going through difficult things in life makes you recognize what's important, what really matters. It makes you realize that the energy you give off, feeds those around you and what you give is ultimately what you get back.

Life is so precious, our loved ones and those we count on are precious. If we paused to think about that every once in a while, our lives would be better. Reaching out, trusting and being open to people is important. Even if it seems difficult sometimes.

As always, for me, food is one of the things that makes life better. Maybe I sound like a broken record when I say this, but sharing food with the ones I love and appreciate, is what counts.

A couple of weeks ago I won a copy of Aran Goyoaga's book 'Small Plates & Sweet Treats' on a giveaway on El's beautiful blog Fresh. Aran, the creator of canelle et vanille, wrote a wonderful book, filled with stunning recipes and photographs. When I got my hands on it, I was flipping through it like crazy, getting excited about every single one of her recipes, which are all gluten-free.

I'm not on a gluten-free diet, I actually can't imagine not eating gluten, but her recipes can easily be converted. The one I chose to cook first though, chestnut crêpes with creamy mushrooms, was a gluten-free one. I was taken by the type of flour she used; chestnut flour. I had never used it before but being a lover of chestnuts, I was sure I was going to love its flavor, and I did.

Chestnuts and mushrooms have an affinity for each other so it was not surprising that the marriage worked. The thin crêpes had a nutty, earthy and vaguely sweet flavor with a hint of nutmeg that intermingled with the woody, creamy wild mushrooms and the fresh thyme to create a combination of flavors that was simply brilliant.

* The writing of this post was accompanied by the music of Kate Bush and this song in particular.







Chestnut Crêpes with Creamy Wild Mushroom Filling
Barely adapted from Small Plates & Sweet Treats

These crêpes are deeply satisfying and filling and they'd make the perfect lunch served with a leafy salad.

They can also easily be turned into a sweet treat by omitting the parsley and pepper in the crêpe recipe. Pair them with hazelnut spread, hot chocolate sauce, drizzle them with honey and serve them with whipped cream; the possibilities are endless.

Chestnut flour has been used in Italy for centuries and is considered to be a staple in Italian cuisine. That counts for something, right? Don't be afraid to use it, but in case you can't find it where you live, you can substitute with all-purpose flour.

Yield: Ten 25cm crêpes

Ingredients

for the crêpes
100 g chestnut flour
250 ml fresh whole milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of grated nutmeg
30g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

60 g unsalted butter, melted, for greasing the pan

for the mushroom filling
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
450-500 g assortment of wild mushrooms (I used shiitake, chestnut, oyster), cut in half or quartered if too big
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 Tbsp crème fraîche
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

Special equipment: immersion blender or stand blender, 25 cm non-stick sauté pan or crêpe pan, heatproof brush


Preparation

make the crêpes
Place all the ingredients for the crêpes in a large bowl or in a stand blender. Use an immersion blender to mix the ingredients well or mix in your stand blender. (In case you have neither kind of blender, whisk vigorously with a hand whisk).
Place the crêpe batter in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for 2 hours before using.

You can make the crêpe batter a day ahead if you wish.

Just before starting making the crêpes, take the batter out of the refrigerator and transfer it into a pourable container. It will be easier to add to the pan.
Heat the non-stick sauté or crêpe pan over medium-high heat and lightly brush the bottom and sides with melted butter. Whisk the batter and add 3-4 Tbsp right in the center of the pan, swirling it quickly around so that the batter coats evenly the bottom of the pan. You're aiming to make thin crêpes. You need to swirl the pan quickly because if you wait, the batter will solidify before you get the chance to spread it evenly around the bottom of the pan.
Cook the crêpe on one side for 30-40 seconds or until it takes on a golden color and the top is set and then, using a spatula, lift the sides of the crêpe a bit all around and, carefully yet quickly, flip it over. Cook on the other side for 10 seconds, transfer it to a large plate and continue cooking the rest of the batter, placing each one on top of the other.
You can either eat them now or place them in the fridge (after they have cooled), covered tightly with plastic wrap, and eat them the next day. They reheat really well.
You can also freeze them for 1 month.

Important notes about crêpes:
1. Crêpes can be intimidating, especially if you haven't cooked them before. You need to keep in mind that the first crêpe will always be a disaster and it'll end up in the bin. It's kind of like a test to see how much of the batter you need to add to the pan, how you're going to spread it around the pan, how you're going to flip the crêpe. I never throw the first crêpe away though, I just test to see if the batter needs more salt etc. So, don't be discouraged if even the first couple of your crêpes turn out to be not very appealing. On your third crêpe you'll be doing perfectly.
2. I use a long and narrow offset icing spatula to flip my crêpes. Other people use two spatulas, others use a fish spatula. Nothing is set in stone. See what works best for you.
3. Even if the crêpe tears a little, it's okay. It happens to me all the time and as long as it's not a large tear that will cause the filling of the crêpe to seep out, then it is definitely a keeper.
4. Crêpes, and these in particular, don't stick together so don't be scared to stack them.

prepare the mushroom filling
In a medium-sized sauté pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the two garlic cloves and sauté for a couple of minutes in order to infuse the olive oil. Be careful not to burn the garlic because it will give a bitter taste to the oil. Remove and discard the garlic.
Add the mushrooms and the thyme sprigs to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes, until the mushrooms soften and slightly caramelize. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper and then add the crème fraîche. Stir well until you have a creamy sauce and immediately remove the pan from the heat.

assemble the crêpes
Take one crêpe and lay it open on a plate. Add 3 tablespoonfuls of mushrooms down the center of the crêpe, sprinkle with some chopped parsley and roll it up. Sprinkle some more parsley on top and continue doing the same with the rest of the crepes.

Serve the crêpes immediately.

The second mode

I have two cooking modes. The fancy, "over-achieving" mode in which I make everything from scratch, and the quick and easy cooking mode, aka the I'm-too-tired-to-cook-anything-but-pasta mode.






The first mode is the one I get into when I have a lot of time on my hands, a lot of energy and a whole lot of patience. It is during such days that I feel like I can conquer the world with my cooking, and I create dishes like Greek feta-filled breads and small hand pies, or desserts like saragli and bars of chocolate dulce de leche with shortbread crust.






The second mode is my everyday mode. It's the mode I get into when I come home from a busy day, and can't or won't cook anything that takes more than half an hour to prepare. Those days are usually salad, pasta or grilled chicken days.






Yet, this type of cooking for me, need not be uninspired. The outcome doesn't have to be a boring plate of food. See, I love my food and dinnertime is special for S and me. It's our time; when we catch up on our day, when we have the chance to unwind over a glass of wine, enjoy a plate of good food and feel that we are doing something special, even if we're staying in.






Dishes like this one are meant for such evenings. A plate of pasta that is easy and quick to prepare, but that is also elegant and deeply flavorful. Spaghettini with mushrooms, olive oil and garlic.






There's something really comforting and relaxing in the idea that you can make a plate of scrumptious food in less than half an hour. And there's no need to be fussy over the ingredients. Choose your favorite pasta, it doesn't have to be spaghettini, some mushrooms, from the fancy chanterelles to the common button, any kind you have on hand will do, even dried ones that if you give them some time in warm water they'll do wonders for the dish, some good olive oil, garlic and cheese—parmesan, pecorino, kefalotyri—, anything with a tang and a strong umami flavor to match the meatiness of the earthy mushrooms.






And, if your day has been particularly challenging, then play your favorite music in the background, serve the pasta in your most beautiful plates, have a glass of wine and toast to the small, everyday pleasures and to the simple things that bring you joy.












Spaghettini with Mushrooms, Olive Oil and Garlic

The "sauce" for this dish is created by adding wine to the sautéed mushrooms and a little pasta water (water that the pasta has been boiled in) if needed at the end.
I used a white Bordeaux to liven up the dish but you can also use a Sauvignon Blanc.

Don't skip adding the parsley on top. It's not a garnish; it really brings a freshness and vibrancy to the dish.
I also love this dish with pappardelle, tagliatelle or spaghetti.

Serve the pasta with a simple green salad tossed with olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar, and have the cheese on hand at the table for further grating on top of the pasta. I always need more cheese on my spaghettini.






Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
200-250 g spaghettini
3 Tbsp plus 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-sized garlic clove, finely minced
100 g button mushrooms, sliced
50 ml white wine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
Parmesan cheese, for grating on top of the pasta

Special equipment: grater, colander


Preparation
In a medium-sized skillet, heat the 3 Tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Turn heat down to medium and sauté for 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the sliced mushrooms along with some salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for a further 2 minutes. You don't want all the juices from the mushrooms and wine to evaporate. You need them in order to make up the "sauce".

In the meantime, prepare the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to the boil over high heat and add the salt, followed by the spaghetti. Cook until al dente (firm but not very hard), or cook to your liking. Be careful though, spaghettini cook very quickly because they're very thin pasta.
Reserve 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the pasta water and drain the spaghettini in a colander (but don't shake the pasta), discarding the rest of the water. Return pasta to the pot and add the mushrooms, making sure you scrape every last drop of the liquid out of the skillet and into the pot. The starch from the pasta will create a light "sauce".
Mix well with a large fork or a pasta fork, add the 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and if you find the pasta to be too dry for your liking, add some, or all, of the 60 ml of pasta water you reserved earlier.
Toss pasta well and serve while it's hot on two dishes.
Sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley and grate a generous amount of parmesan on top.

I Heart Autumn

I love the cold weather; going on evening walks on the streets of The Hague, feeling the crisp air stroking my cheeks, flushing them.

I love that the leaves are turning to all shades of yellow and orange. S pokes fun at me when I try to step on each crunchy leaf I see on the street but that doesn't stop me. I like the sound they make.






I love the smell of lit fireplaces in those first cold nights of autumn, when the slow burning wood emits such a sweet smell that penetrates my nostrils, bringing back memories.






I love sitting on my favorite armchair reading freshly bought cookbooks with that new book smell that reminds me of my school days, when all I wanted was a brand new school bag, lots of well sharpened pencils and fluorescent colored pens.






I love baking my first cookies of the season, yearning for a taste of home.






I love sleeping in; staying tucked in bed while the wind that has been asleep for so many months is now howling outside.






I love the cravings that I have for all kinds of foods aimed to warm me up, body and soul.

I love soup.

I love mushroom soup.






I love that earthy, meaty, umami flavor of mushrooms that is best enjoyed in the form of soup. Not that blended up thing though, where everything is mashed into oblivion, where the textures disappear and the flavors are masked by too much cream, no. A mushroom soup where each slice of mushroom is visible, its texture adding to the tasting experience and its flavor distinct and present in every mouthful.






Cremini and chanterelle mushrooms, soft leeks, thyme, a dollop of créme fraiche. Simplicity in all its glory. Cremini mushrooms are the older cousins of the button mushroom with a slightly richer flavor and a brown appearance whereas the chanterelles are the golden yellow, wild mushrooms of the forest. Their fruity aroma, reminiscent of the apricots and peaches of late summer, and their meaty, chewy texture are perfect for an autumnal soup. The sweet leeks complement the full flavor of the mushrooms giving a light sweetness to the dish. The thyme imparts its earthy, herbal aroma and the créme fraiche adds a luscious note that makes all the ingredients come together beautifully. Served with a glass of Viognier, it's magical.






It's really no wonder this soup is on my mind when autumn knocks on my door.











Mushroom Soup with Leeks and Thyme
Adapted from Rick Rodgers

This soup is very easy to prepare—the "hardest" part being the slicing of the mushrooms and leeks—and it only needs about 40 minutes of cooking in total. It's amazing how so few ingredients can yield so much flavor.

This soup is perfect for lunch or for a light supper paired with a couple of slices of crusty bread, and it makes an ideal first course for a dinner.

Créme fraiche is like sour cream but thicker and less sour. If you can't find it, use cream, whipped to soft peaks.
If you can't find cremini mushrooms (which are nothing but small portobello mushrooms), substitute with large portobello mushrooms cut into small pieces or even white button mushrooms.
If you can't find fresh chanterelles, use dried (15 g for this recipe plus their liquid).
Read this on how to reconstitute dried mushrooms and how to store them properly.






Yield: 6-8 first-course servings

Ingredients
100 g unsalted butter
450 g fresh cremini mushrooms
150 g fresh chanterelle mushrooms
125 g leeks (about 1 ½ large leek), white and pale green parts only
40 g all purpose flour
820 ml chicken stock, good quality
60 ml medium-dry sherry, like Amontillado
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
150 g créme fraiche for serving

Special equipment: mushroom brush, colander


Preparation
Use a soft brush designed especially for cleaning mushrooms to clean the fresh mushrooms. Otherwise use a damp cloth to clean off the dirt and grit. Don't immerse the mushrooms into water when cleaning them because they are porous and tend to absorb a lot of water—you will end up with flavorless mushrooms. If the mushrooms are too dirty, rinse them quickly under slowly running water and drain them on kitchen paper. If you can't get rid of any dirty spots, use a small sharp knife and cut off those parts.
Cut the cremini mushrooms into 0.6 cm-thick slices. Make sure you cut off and discard the hard lower part of the stems.
Don't cut the chanterelles with a knife but tear them into smaller pieces with your hands. If they are small just leave them as they are.

Dice the leek. Using a sharp knife, cut off the root portion of the leek as well as the dark green leaves which will leave you with the body of the leek (white and pale green part). Cut it in half lengthwise and then cut these two pieces in half lengthwise. Cut these pieces into 0.6 cm squares. Rinse the leeks under running water and place them on a colander to drain.

In a medium-sized stock pot, melt 35 g of the butter over medium-high heat and when it's hot (but not smoking) add half of the mushrooms. Sauté them, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, for about 5 minutes. Transfer them, along with their juices, into a bowl.
In the same pot, melt 35 g of the butter until hot and then add the rest of the mushrooms, cooking them in the same manner as the others. Transfer them, along with their juices, into the same bowl.
The reason we don't sauté all the mushrooms together is because of their large volume—they will boil rather than sauté.


In the same pot, melt the rest 30 g of the butter and when it gets hot add the leeks. Stir them well and put the lid on the pot. Turn heat down to medium and let leeks cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until they soften.
Then add all the mushrooms, along with their juices, to the pot, sprinkle with the flour and stir until flour is evenly distributed.
Add the chicken stock, the sherry, (at this point, if you're using dried mushrooms add them along with their juices/read this on how to reconstitute them first), salt (be careful not to use too much in case the chicken stock you use is already salted), freshly ground black pepper and ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves. Stir everything and bring soup to the boil, stirring often.
Reduce heat to low, set lid ajar and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve the soup while still hot in small soup bowls, adding a dollop of créme fraiche on top and sprinkling with fresh thyme leaves.

The soup is even tastier the next day. If you want to serve it at a dinner party, you can make it the previous day, leaving you with enough time to prepare the rest of your dishes on the day.