¼cupgrapeseedcanola, or light- taste free olive oil (to be added as the soup is pureed)
½cupdry white wine
1.5cupsof homemade chicken stock stockplus an additional ½ cup
A Bouquet garnioptional consisting of: 2 fresh bay leaves, 1 small sprig of thyme, and 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
Instructions
Heat the butter in a deep pot, add the chanterelles and cook, seasoning with a generous pinch of salt to release the juice from the chanterelles and stirring often, until they are fully cooked and have reduced in size by half. Continue cooking the chanterelles until they brown slightly, this deepens their flavor.
Add the diced onion and leek and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Add the ½ cup of chicken stock and reduce until it is gone (about 5 minutes) and the onions are thoroughly cooked and soft.
Add the wine and cook for a few minutes, until reduced by half. Add the stock and cream, heat until the mixture comes to a simmer
When the mixture simmers, remove the bouquet garni, then puree the soup in a blender, adding equal portions of the grapeseed oil to each batch while pureeing- this adds air, helps it to puree, and improves it's velvety texture. Finally pass the soup through a metal or mesh strainer.
If you have a vita-mix or industrial blender, you may not need to strain this, and if you just don't feel like straining it, that's ok, just make sure to give it plenty of time on high in the blender, until it is as smooth as you like. Season the soup to taste with salt if needed and then refrigerate immediately.
To plate, heat the soup, check the seasoning for salt and pepper, then garnish with toasted croutons pickled chanterelles, and the chives.
Notes
To achieve the smooth consistency of this soup I make sure to add the oil while it's pureeing in the blender. Oil added at the moment when something is being pureed reduces friction, giving you the creamiest result possible. This is a technique you can use anytime you use the blender for sauces, and is a great tip to remember.