Mushroom velouté

A velouté in soup form. The mushrooms are fried hard first, which is the only way to get mushroom flavour rather than mushroom texture.

500 g — button mushrooms

50 g — butter

80 g — shallot

25 g — plain flour

800 ml — light chicken stock

120 ml — double cream

5 ml — lemon juice

6 g — salt

8 g — parsley

Fry the mushrooms in a wide pan in two batches, in hot butter, without salt. Salt draws water out and they stew instead of browning; a crowded pan does the same thing.

Keep a handful of the browned mushrooms back for the top. Add the shallot to the rest, cook two minutes, stir in the flour and cook two more.

Pour in the stock, simmer twenty-five minutes, blend smooth and add the cream. Finish with lemon, salt, and the reserved mushrooms and parsley on top.