Finn-Erik Cooks - Japanese/American mushroom soup, with pickles and browned butter

Recipe below video

Soup for two:

2 dl dried Shiitake mushrooms
5-6 fresh mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
2 shallots
3-4 reddish
3-4 pickled cucumbers 
2 dl dry apple cider (or good quality apple juice)
1 ts Dijon mustard
2 dl chicken stock
1 ts sour cream
2 slices of American Cheddar cheese (or English)
100 grams of propper butter
2-3 slices of sourdough bread
1/2 dl Soy Sauce
Olive oil
Salt 
​Ground pepper

Exclusive produce

​Dried Shiitake mushrooms are found in most Asian food stores. They're cheap, super flavourful and a fantastic source of Umami.

Norwegian Cider is reaching world class, mostly due to farmers dedicating countless hours of work. But the soil and climate also play a good part.
Try some cider and save some for your cooking. It serves as a great spice.


Start out by boiling 2 dl of water and soaking the mushrooms.

Make the croutons.
Finely slice your bread, add some olive oil and roast in oven at 200 degrees until golden.

Prepare the toppings.
Finely slice reddish and pickles. Keep in fridge until serving.

Make the soup.
Finely chop shallots, garlic and fresh mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a cast iron casserole and add the two onion types. Fry to light golden and add the mushrooms. Fry for another minute. 

Add Shiitake and the water they've been soaking in. Put in Dijon, chicken stock, cider and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and let it simmer at medium heat for 40 minutes. 

Make browned butter.
While the soup is simmering, make the golden browned butter.
Add butter to a casserole and melt using medium plus heat. On my stove it's 7 out of 9.
Use a lid as the butter goes through a "popping" face. Watch the melting process carefully. When the popping stops, the melting turns in to a foam stage. A nice golden foam forms on top, and the milk proteins caramelize underneath. Now you want to remove the casserole from the heat. Use a wooden tool and scrape the bottom. You're looking to loosen the browned bits. This whole process might seem difficult, but it's quite simple. Just give it a try.

Finish the soup.

Run the soup smooth using a hand blender. 

Strain the soup to achieve a more luxurious texture, or keep the bits if you prefer. It tastes good no matter what you choose.

Add propper sour cream and mix it in. Season to taste. 

Assemble your Créme brûlée burner and start plating.

Add a good slice of Cheddar cheese and roast it with your burner. Add croutons and scoop on some of that delicious browned butter. Make sure you get the best bits, which are the golden-caramelized ones at the bottom.

Finish with your fridge-cold reddish and pickles. Enjoy with a dry apple cider, a Riesling or a glass of soda water with lime. Enjoy! :)