Chef Bruce Riezenman’s “Potage of Three Mushrooms” combines perfectly with Belvedere’s classic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Potage of Three Mushrooms with Pinot Noir & Shiitake Crisps

By Chef Bruce Riezenman 

Serves 4 

• 4 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced.
• Medium-coarse sea salt, to taste
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 ½ cups beef or chicken stock
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• ¾ lb. potatoes, peeled and covered with cold water
• ¼ tsp. dried savory
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• ¼ cup Belvedere Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbs. crème fraiche

Preheat oven to 350˚.

In a bowl, toss the shiitake mushrooms with a pinch of sea salt and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.  Pat the mushrooms dry and squeeze out excess moisture with a paper towel.  Toss with ¼ tsp. of the olive oil, place on a baking pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until the shiitake slices are slightly crisp.  Transfer to a paper towel and set aside.

Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl, add ½ cup of the hot stock and let soak for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the porcini mushrooms from the stock and chop.  Pour the soaking liquid into a clean bowl, leaving the grit behind.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the white and porcini mushrooms and stir.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes and immediately add them to the pan before they turn brown.  Taste the liquid in the pan and season with salt.  Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the savory, soy sauce, wine and a few grinds of pepper.  Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the liquid is reduced to a glaze, 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the porcini mushroom soaking liquid and the remaining 1 cup of stock, bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are very tender and begin to fall apart, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat.  Working in batches, puree in a blender until very smooth.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon.  Return the soup to the pan, set over medium-low heat and add the cream.  Cook, stirring, until the soup just coats a spoon, then simmer for 5 minutes more.  Whisk in the crème fraiche and ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Drizzle with a bit of the remaining olive oil and garnish each portion with a small mound of shiitake crisps.  Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, if desired.

Serve with Belvedere Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Belvedere Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Classic Pinot Noir from a classic region. Russian River fruit is distinctive because it proudly wears a cloak of spicy black cherries.

Belvedere Vineyards & Winery

Belvedere is a friendly, family-owned winery specializing in artisanal wines from northern Sonoma vineyards. Located near Healdsburg, CA, they believe there is something soulful about fruit grown in their own backyard.  Being near the vineyards also means they avidly watch the vines and assure that the grapes are picked at peak flavor.  Their location, near three Sonoma appellations, also provides Belvedere the ability to produce wines reflecting several distinct terroirs yielding a variety of outstanding wines.