GPB’s Mushroom Soup

Steps

1. Separate the caps of the mushrooms from the stems; slice/dice ⅔ of the Portobello Caps and all the stems—don’t need to slice too finely, because this will be blended. Set aside the other ⅓ of the button mushroom caps, leaving whole for the moment.
2. Heat the vegetable oil and 4tbsp of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion and mushroom stems and sliced caps. Fry for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Cover the pan; sweat mushrooms over low heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Turn up the heat to medium; stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two.
5. Gradually add the chicken stock, to make a thin, smooth sauce.
6. Add the dried basil, just a pinch, and the salt and pepper.
7. Bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer for at least two hours; the longer you simmer the soup, the richer it will be.
8. Remove from heat and purée in blender until relatively smooth.
You may make the soup to this point the day before you wish to serve it.
9. Put the soup back on simmer for another two or three hours before you wish to serve it, leaving the cover off and reheating it slowly. This will make the soup richer still.
10. Add 5 percent cream and whole milk until the soup seems a good consistency. Simmer.
11. Melt the rest of the butter (i.e., 3 tbsp) in a frying pan. Slice the remaining mushroom caps in two or three; you want these mushrooms for texture, so bigger is better.
12. Add the dry sherry; it is a nice addition to the soup, but it is easy to add too much.
13. If you think the soup is too thick, you can dilute it with more cream or with some dry white wine.
14. Heat.
15. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
16. Place soup in bowls; add fried mushrooms to each bowl; garnish with fresh basil leaves.
17. Serve with white roll, baguette, or Italian bread.