Mushrooms play a starring role in our kitchen during the autumn months.We look for specialty varieties, such as floppy-brimmed shiitakes, trumpet-shaped chanterelles, and feathery-looking hen of the woods. I like to use a combination of wild mushrooms in this bisque. It makes an appealing first course for an elegant Thanksgiving or Christmas meal.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon salted butter
3 whole cloves garlic
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
1 cup diced celery
1 pound shiitake mushrooms
2 large portobello mushrooms
1/4 pound chanterelle mushrooms
2 to 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 cups homemade chicken stock
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 cup light cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Melt the butter in a stockpot over mediumhigh heat. Add the garlic, onion, and celery. Sauté for 8 minutes. Slice the shiitake, portobello, and chanterelle mushrooms, setting aside a total of 1/2 cup of mixed mushrooms for the garnish. Add the remaining mushrooms and the potatoes to the stockpot. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the thyme and puree in the pot using a hand blender or working in batches in a regular blender until smooth. Add the cream, salt and pepper, sherry, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.

Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the reserved 1/2 cup mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms into the soup and stir to incorporate.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.