Porcini & Potato Soup, Garlic Sippets

INGREDIENTS

Porcini & Potato Soup:

• 3 large spuds
• Child’s handful of dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves
• Far too much butter
• Plenty of milk (enough to cover potatoes)
• Dash of olive oil
• Generous pinch of sea salt

Garlic Sippets:

• Generous handful of bread shards / croutons
• 1 garlic clove
• Enough butter to fry golden
• Small pinch of sea salt to season

MISE EN PLACE

• Peel potatoes, rinse in cold water and cut into even sized chunks
• Peel 2 garlic cloves
• Blitz mushrooms to a fine powder
• Pour milk into saucepan
• Cut half a pat of butter into cubes
• Tear bread into shards / make croutons
• Finely slice a garlic clove

METHOD

• Season the milk with sea salt and add a few cubes of butter.
• Pour in most of the porcini powder and stir until absorbed.
• Cook the peeled and chopped potatoes in the liquid until soft.
• Pour half of the potatoes and liquid into the liquidiser, blend briefly until smooth.
• Push the rest of the mixture through a potato ricer or mash.
• Add butter and more milk to both mixtures at any stage for a creamy consistency.

For the Garlic Sippets:

• Fry the bread shards in butter until golden.
• Add the finely sliced garlic at the end and turn off the heat.
• Stir well to stop burning and season to taste.

Pour both potato mixtures back into a saucepan to heat through and fold together for texture. Serve in bowls with a dash of olive oil and sprinkle garlic sippets all over. Finish with milled black pepper and a small pinch of porcini powder.

BATTERIE DE CUISINE

• Cooking pot
• Wooden spoon
• Potato ricer or masher
• Liquidiser
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Ladle
• Serving vessel
• Bowls
• Pepper mill
• Tea towel