Mushroom and Potato Crema with Roasted Poblano...Rick Bayless

Mushroom and Potato Crema with Roasted Poblano...Rick Bayless

It's been quite cold for the past week. This morning we hit -10 deg. F.... Cold. Very Cold. And when it gets that cold, I usually gravitate towards making soup. Lately though, I've wanted a change from the regular soups I make... wanted to try something new. It's nice to vary things a bit from time to time....

I stumbled upon this soup on Rick Bayless' website... while I was actually searching for another recipe. The Potato and Mushroom Crema with Roasted Poblano really caught my eye ...and I really think it was the roasted poblano in the ingredient list that made me look twice. Roasted poblano...now, I don't know why I had never thought of using poblanos in my soups before. I loved the idea! Definitely wanted to make the soup. It sounded quite delicious and I had all the ingredients at home... even the fresh poblano! There were just enough mushrooms in the fridge and I had some yukon gold potatoes that I wanted to use. I quickly whipped up this flavorful soup for lunch and loved it. Loved the bits of chile and corn in the soup...and the cilantro really added a nice fresh taste.

I love roasted bell peppers, and when I make a batch on the grill, I will oftentimes add some fresh poblanos as well. I like to cut them up and freeze them in small quantities...they are great in salsas and recipes like this... even for green enchilada sauces. But this time, since I had a fresh poblano, I roasted that and used it for the purpose of this post. Incidentally, you will find quite a few of Rick Bayless' recipes on his website that are worth trying out...you will also find his tortilla soup that I made earlier.

I made a slight change to his original recipe that is worth mentioning....just because I personally like it. I ended up sautéing the sliced mushrooms to get a good caramelization and flavor going. I then added a bit of the stock to remove any browned bits that may have stuck to the skillet and proceeded to add it to the soup. I like the golden color of the mushrooms as they float through the soup...reserved a few slices for garnish. The original recipe uses only 8 oz of mushrooms, but I ended up using what I had in the fridge...more like 10 oz. Now, Rick simply adds the fresh mushrooms to the soup...you can easily do that if you like. It is easier and you don't have to take out the skillet:).

I added some sour cream to finish off the soup... more like a 1/2 cup. But you can also use some heavy cream, creme fraiche, or even plain yoghurt. Bacon is optional, so omit if you don't care for it. This was yet another great soup that we enjoyed very much. A different take on the classic mushroom and potato chowder...and a very nice change from the usual soups I make. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: adapted from Rick Bayless

4 medium (1 lb) Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces

4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

6 cups chicken broth

1 large fresh poblano chile

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced*

1 scant cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream or sour cream( I used sour cream)

Salt, to taste

butter/oil to saute mushrooms

* you can use some oyster and/or shiitake mushrooms for an elegant twist

Garnish with:

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1/4 cup crispy bacon bits, optional

Directions:

1. Roast the poblano... over an open flame, grill, or in oven, under broiler. Turn when poblano is blistered and blackened all over. Do the same on the second side....this should take 10-15 minutes under the broiler( I use my toaster oven).

2. Cover roasted poblano with a towel and let cool. Peel the blackened skin off the chile, and remove the stem and seeds. Cut into small pieces. Set aside.

3. Saute mushrooms till golden brown ....over med/high heat in a bit of oil/butter. Set aside. Reserve a few slices for garnish if you like.

4. In a medium soup pot, add potatoes, garlic, and 3 cups of broth. Heat on high and when the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

5. When the potatoes are tender, blend the soup.... either in the pan with an immersion blender, or food processor/blender and return to the pan. Add the remaining 3 cups of the broth, the sauteed mushrooms(and the scraped up bits), poblano and corn.

6. Simmer for about 10 minutes or so over medium heat.... the soup should thicken slightly.

7. Right before serving, take out about 1⁄2 cup of the hot soup and place in a small bowl. Mix in the sour cream( or cream) and stir it back in the soup pot. Taste and season with salt.

8. Garnish with cilantro, reserved sauteed mushrooms( if using), and crispy bacon(optional).