Instructions: 1. Rinse the wild mushrooms well under running water; then soak them in sherry for 1 hour. Drain the mushrooms and rinse off any remaining sand; pass the sherry through a fine strainer and reserve. Leave whole or chop mushrooms coarsely as desired.

2. Melt the butter in an 8 quart soup pot, add the flour, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the chopped onions, fresh mushrooms, and wild mushrooms. Add the stock and reserved sherry and bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat, cover partially, and simmer 1 hour or until the wild mushrooms are very tender.

Add the seasonings, taste, and adjust.

3. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before stirring in the creme fraiche.

MAKE IT EXTRA-LIGHT: Reduce the butter to 2 tbls and delete the creme fraiche. Simmer uncovered until the soup has reached the desired thickness.

MAKE IT AHEAD: Prepare the recipe through Step 2 up to 4 or 5 hours in advance and refrigerate. Reheat on the stove (not microwave); then proceed with Step 3 before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve this rich soup as a first course before a light main course such as a grilled fish.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.