Gulf News 'Your Ramadan Table' food show: Truffle coconut mushroom soup

150 gms carrots

150 gms celery

10 gms garlic

One sprig of thyme

One sprig of rosemary

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp truffle paste

100 gms brown shimeji mushrooms

100 gms shitake mushrooms

100 gms yellow oyster mushrooms

200 ml coconut milk

Salt and pepper to taste

10 gms chives (chopped)

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C to 170°C. Take chicken bones and put them in a tray. Roast them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add 2 litres of water in a pot and heat it until the water comes to a boil.

Put the roasted bones inside the pot and simmer the stock for 45 to 60 minutes. Skim the scum off the top using a ladle. Then, remove the chicken bones from the pot and add the roughly chopped carrot, celery, and onions to it. Simmer it again for 15 to 20 minutes. Once done, keep it aside.

Meanwhile, roughly dice some carrots, white onion, and celery. Put them in a bowl and keep it aside.

To prepare mushrooms, take all the mushrooms, remove the root part of the mushroom, and roughly chop them. Keep them in big pieces as possible.

Dice the banana shallots, chop garlic and keep them aside.

Now heat the heavy cream over a low flame and keep it aside.

Take a pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil, and add banana shallots and sauté it over a medium flame. Once it becomes translucent, add chopped garlic and toss it.

Add the chopped mushrooms. First, add shitake mushrooms, as it takes more time to cook than other mushrooms. Then, add the rest of the mushrooms one by one.

If you think the mushrooms are getting dry, add a bit of olive oil to the pan. Add a sprig of thyme and rosemary and sauté it until caramelised. Reserve some oyster mushrooms for garnish. You can put the oyster mushrooms in a tray and roast it, and serve as garnish.

Now, add the chicken stock to the pan and simmer it for 15 minutes. Once done, add fresh coconut cream or coconut milk, and mix it well. Also, add warm, heavy cream. Give it a good mix. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

Take it off the flame, add one teaspoon of truffle paste and chopped chives, and combine well. Serve it in a bowl and garnish it with roasted oyster mushrooms and a few drops of olive oil.

Tips:

Use mushroom stems while preparing stock for a more intense flavour.

While making stock, keep the extra stock in the freezer, and use it later.

Always warm the heavy cream before using it in a curry or while cooking, as it won't separate from it.

Chicken and mushroom soup is a classic comfort food that warms you up. This recipe takes it to the next level with the addition of truffle paste and coconut milk, adding a luxurious and exotic twist to the traditional recipe. A perfect dish to warm up after a long day.

- Chef John Buenaventura, Executive Chef and Host of Your Ramadan Table by Gulf News

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