Birch bolete mushroom soup
Description
A hearty first course. It is traditionally believed that birch boletes are best suited for frying. There is also a common opinion that only the fleshy caps of birch boletes are suitable for eating, while the rather tough stems are not. I hope this simple recipe for birch bolete mushroom soup will convince you otherwise on both counts. 1. Clean the mushrooms from dirt and forest debris, cut off any damaged areas, and remove wormy ones — they can either be soaked in salted water and then used in cooking, or discarded if you don't mind wasting them. Thinly slice both caps and stems, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and after a couple of minutes drain in a colander. Don't worry if the mushrooms have darkened — this is a natural process. 2. Fill a pot with fresh water, place over heat, and when it boils, add a peeled onion. 3. Sauté the mushrooms in vegetable oil together with finely chopped onion and carrot. 4. Transfer the sautéed mushrooms, onion, and carrot into the boiling water (reserve about half a ladle of the broth in a separate container, and remove and discard the cooked onion). 5. After 5 minutes, add potatoes cut to your preference into the pot. 6. Add salt. Let the soup simmer for another 10–15 minutes over low heat with the lid closed. Then stir in pre-cooked buckwheat, and turn off the stove. 7. Once the soup has stopped boiling, mix the reserved broth with egg yolks beaten together with cream and flour, along with spices. Pour this mixture into the soup. Stir thoroughly to avoid lumps. 8. Sprinkle the soup with chopped parsley and garlic, and serve with croutons made from black bread and grated cheese. The soup turns out filling, rich, and aromatic — in short, very delicious! Congratulations — now you know how.