Wild Mushroom, Chestnut and Sausage Dressing

When the first European settlers landed on American shores, they found an abundance of mushrooms growing wild in the forests.

Hence, wild mushrooms are a fitting addition to our Thanksgiving dressing. We call for dried mushrooms, which lend a wonderful texture and depth of flavor.

The mushroom soaking liquid enhances the earthy character of the dish.

Ingredients:


• 2 oz. dried wild mushrooms
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
• 1-lb. loaf French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes with a Wusthof bread knife
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 1/2 cups prepared French chestnuts, halved
• 12 oz. mild fresh Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the dried mushrooms and hot broth and soak for 1 hour. Drain the mushrooms in an All-Clad strainer, reserving the broth. Roughly chop the mushrooms, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a baking dish or small Dutch oven.

In a bowl, combine the bread cubes and olive oil and stir to coat. Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and crunchy, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms.

In a saute pan over medium heat, melt 3 Tbs. of the butter. Add the onion and celery and saute, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the chestnuts and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl with the bread.

Return the pan to medium heat and melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and crumbling with the back of a wooden spoon, until the sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl with the bread and stir in the parsley and sage.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the reserved broth. Add enough broth to the bread mixture so it is moist. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the dressing to the prepared baking dish and bake until crispy and golden, about 1 hour, covering the dish with aluminum foil if the dressing gets too dark. Serves 8 to 10.

Make-Ahead Tips: Assemble the dressing and place in the baking dish up to 1 day in advance, but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/15/icrossing-s2.DTL#ixzz15QNPC6AG

Puree of Mushroom Soup

This dish is similar to a cream of mushroom soup, but without the dairy. This soup is pure mushroom, with a couple of potatoes thrown in for thickening. Served with paper-thin slices of mushroom as garnish, it makes a very elegant soup.

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• 1 1/2 pounds white or cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms, any kind
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallot or onion
• 3 or 4 garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce (optional)
• A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and few sprigs each parsley and thyme
• 2 medium potatoes (5 or 6 ounces total), preferably on the starchy side (such as Yukon gold), peeled and diced
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley or slivered fresh sage leaves for garnish

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1. Set aside 4 medium mushrooms for garnish. Stem the remaining mushrooms, and cut the caps into quarters. Set aside the caps, and combine the stems with the dried mushrooms in a large saucepan.
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Add 1 1/2 quarts water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes. Set a strainer lined with cheesecloth, a coffee filter, or paper towels over a bowl, and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all of the tasty liquid remaining in them. Season the broth to taste with salt. Discard the dried mushrooms and stems.
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2. Heat the olive oil (or olive oil and butter) over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot, and add the shallots or onions. Cook, stirring, until tender -- about three minutes for shallots, five for onions. Add the garlic, and stir together for about 30 seconds. Add the quartered mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt.
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Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender and have released a lot of juice, about 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the sherry and the soy sauce, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the stock, the bouquet garni and the potatoes. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer 1 hour. Remove the bouquet garni, and discard.
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3. Working in small batches and covering the top of your blender tightly with a kitchen towel, puree the soup. Alternatively, use a hand blender to puree the soup in the pot. (You’ll get a smoother, more velvety texture if you use a blender.) Return to the pot, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you wish, stir in another tablespoon of sherry.
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4. Trim the mushrooms you set aside, and slice paper-thin. Toss with the lemon juice. Serve the soup, and garnish each bowl with chopped parsley or slivered sage and sliced fresh mushrooms.
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Yield: Serves four.
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Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead and reheat.
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Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. -The New York Times