Instructions: *Available at specialty foods shops and by mail order.

Although the morels add a woodsy intensity to the flavor of the consomme, they are not essential. You can substitute other dried exotic mushrooms or eliminate them altogether and simply float a thin slice of fresh white mushroom on the soup right before covering the bowl with the pastry.

Make mushroom consomme: In a 6-quart stockpot or kettle combine consomme ingredients and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours. Pour consomme through a large fine sieve lined with a rinsed and squeezed paper towel into a large saucepan, pressing gently on solids, to yield about 5 cups consomme (if yield is not enough, add water to make 5 cups; if too much, boil consomme until reduced to 5 cups). Season consomme with salt and pepper.

Prepare morels while consomme is simmering: In a small bowl pour boiling water over morels and let stand 20 minutes, or until morels are soft.

Remove morels, reserving soaking liquid, and in a small saucepan simmer morels in Madeira, covered, 5 minutes. Add morel mixture to consomme. Let reserved soaking liquid settle and slowly pour it into consomme, being careful to leave last tablespoon (containing sediment) in bowl. Simmer consomme, covered, 3 minutes and cool to room temperature. Consomme may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring consomme to room temperature before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 400 F. and have ready six 12-ounce "truffle soup bowls" or 9- to 10-ounce ovenproof ramekins, each measuring 3 1/2 to 4 inches across top. Divide consomme, including morels, and chives among bowls or ramekins.

Prepare pastry "hats": On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 sheet puff pastry into a 12-cinch square and with a round cutter at least 3/4-inch larger than diameter of bowls cut out 4 rounds. Roll out second puff-pastry sheet and cut out 2 more rounds in same manner. Brush any excess flour from both sides of rounds.

Working with 1 pastry round at a time, brush a 1/2-inch-wide border of egg wash around pastry edges and invert pastry rounds over bowls or ramekins, carefully stretching 1/2 inch down side and pressing to seal.

When all bowls or ramekins are covered with pastry, brush tops with remaining egg wash. Pastry-covered consomme may be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled. (Pastry will not rise quite as high when going straight from refrigerator to oven.) Arrange bowls or ramekins on a large baking sheet and bake consomme in middle of oven until pastry "hats"

are puffed and golden, 12 to 18 minutes.

Serves 6.

Gourmet

continued in part 2

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