Cream of Mushroom Soup

Wipe 300 g button mushrooms with a paper towel, then slice them thinly.

Finely dice 80 g onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Do not rinse the mushrooms, or they will release too much water before browning.

Melt 30 g unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic, then cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion looks translucent and the garlic smells fragrant without browning hard.

Add the sliced mushrooms and 1 teaspoon dried thyme, then raise the heat to medium-high.

Spread the mushrooms across the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until moisture evaporates and the edges turn deep brown.

Lower the heat to medium and sprinkle in 18 g flour evenly.

Stir for about 1 minute so the raw flour taste cooks out and the mushrooms look lightly coated, then get the chicken stock ready to add gradually.

Pour in 500 ml chicken stock little by little while stirring constantly to loosen the roux without lumps.

Once it starts to simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 10 minutes until lightly thickened.

Stir in 150 ml heavy cream and warm for only 2-3 minutes, keeping the soup below a hard boil.

For a smoother texture, blend half the soup, return it to the pot, then season with salt and black pepper.