Sunday Dinner

I had all the time in the world last Sunday, so I mustered all my courage and made Wild Mushroom Soup using the recipe of Barefoot Contessa. After that I did my own version of Shrimps with crab fat sauce. Hope you like it!

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup (Barefoot Contessa)

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher Salt (I only used regular salt hehehe)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine (no more, no less!)
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Shrimps with Crab Fat Sauce
Hmm... I hope my memory serves me right in recounting what I did!

1/2 Kilo de-shelled and de-veined shrimps (or prawns if you like!)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves chopped garlic (more or less)
Sprinkling of chili flakes
About 1 cup of crab fat (more if you like!)
Couple of leaves of Thai basil leaves - Chiffonade* it

Heat olive oil in a pan. Stir in the garlic and chili flakes. Add the shrimps and cook until slightly pink (don't overcook!). Add the crabfat sauce and cook for at most 2 minutes. Add the thai basil. Serve hot.

Pair with jasmine rice or use as pasta sauce. If to be used for pasta, add more crabfat and more olive oil.

Note: as per Wikipedia, Chiffonade is a cooking technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and basil) are cut into long, thin strips. This is generally accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons.

The term comes from the French language. It means "made of rags" referring to the fabric-like strips that result in this technique.

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The output...



Yummy yummy. Believe me, the Mushroom soup is so worth the long preparation time. And the shrimps, my goodness. Heaven.

Enjoy!