Wild Mushroom Consommé, Mushroom "Ravioli", Chorizo and Tomatoes

Adapted by StarChefs.com
September 2009
Yield: 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

Mushroom Consommé
6 onions, thinly sliced
12 shallots, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
8 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
4 cups button mushrooms
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons saffron
salt
olive oil
4 cups dried chickpeas
4 cups dried shiitakes
4 cups dried porcini mushrooms
16 stems fresh parsley
8 sprigs fresh thyme
egg whites
Mushroom "Ravioli:"
5 pounds button mushrooms
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
30 grams truffle juice
salt and pepper
0.8 grams xanthan gum
5 grams Calcium lactate
Honshimeji caps
olive oil
truffle oil
5 grams alginate
1 liter water
To Assemble and Serve
12 morels, sautéed
½ cup peas
4 fava beans, blanched and peeled
4 ramp leaves, sauteed
4 radishes, halved
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
12 slices chorizo
Nasturtiums
Borage
Micro cilantro
tarragon
fleur de sel
olive oil
soy sauce
lime juice

METHOD:

For the Mushroom Consommé:
The night before, sweat 3 onions, 6 shallots, 1 carrot, 4 celery ribs, 1 fennel bulb, 2 cups mushrooms, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon saffron, and 1 pinch of salt in olive oil until vegetables are soft. Add 2 cups of the chickpeas and cold water to cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Add 2 cups each of the shiitake and porcini mushrooms. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 8 parsley stems and 4 sprigs thyme. Infuse for 5 minutes, strain, let cool, and reserve.

The next day, sweat the remaining onions, shallots, carrot, celery, fennel, bay leaf saffron, and chickpeas, until the vegetables are soft. Add the reserved stock to cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the remaining mushrooms and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining herbs and infuse for 5 minutes. Clarify the broth with the egg whites and strain.

For the Mushroom "Ravioli:"
The night before, cover the mushrooms with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook overnight. The next day, strain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Reduce the liquid until 220 grams are left. Add the truffle juice and season. Using an immersion blender, incorporate the xanthan gum into the liquid. Blend in the calcium lactate. Transfer the mixture to a plastic circle molds, filling just the bottom of each one and freeze.

Sauté the honshimeji caps in olive oil and season. Place a drop of truffle oil in the center of each frozen mold. Place a honshimeji cap over the drop and cover with more jus. Transfer the molds to the freezer.

Use an immersion blender to incorporate the alginate into the water. Heat the alginate bath to 120ºF. Drop the mushroom ice cubes into the alginate bath and let sit for 6 minutes. Remove the ravioli from the liquid with a slotted spoon and transfer to a water bath. Reserve in the mushroom broth.

To Assemble and Serve:
Arrange 3 mushroom ravioli in a bowl or deep plate. Garnish with the morels, peas, fava beans, ramp leaves, ramp bulbs, radishes, tomatoes, and 3 chorizo slices. Top with the edible flowers, micro herbs, fleur de sel, and olive oil. Season the mushroom broth with soy sauce and lime juice. Pour tableside into the bowl.