Since the weather is still clammy, it is still soup weather! Colby Erhart, who is the executive chef at Chez Leon in Clayton, demonstrated a deliciously rich and flavorful mushroom soup in cooking class that everyone loved. Chef Colby, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, loves French food and trained under Chef Pierre Chambrin at the St. Louis Club.

Don’t miss his upcoming classes featuring classic French foods on July 12 and August 16.

Mushroom Bisque

1/2 cup unsalted butter
6 ounces cremini mushrooms
6 ounces oyster mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
4 ounce Madiera wine
2 cups heavy cream
8 cups chicken stock

Melt the butter in a stock pot and cook until light brown. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and white pepper. Let cook until the mushrooms have browned and the liquid reduced. Add the garlic and shallots. Once the raw garlic smell is cooked out, deglaze with Madiera and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the heavy cream and let reduce until a sauce consistency. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Puree to a smooth consistency.