Fancy Cream of Mushroom Soup

Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil.

Remove water from heat, stir in dried mushrooms, and let steep for 30 minutes.

Pass the mushroom stock through a sieve with a coffee filter to remove sand. Briefly rinse the rehydrated mushroom chunks.

Peel and roughly chop the onion. Heat a film of olive oil in a deep pan/pot and sauté the onion for 5-10 minutes until it starts to soften and brown.

Melt in a couple tablespoons of butter (or more olive oil) and stir in the flour to make a roux. Fry the roux for a few minutes until it starts to turn brown and smell nutty.

Deglaze the pan with 3/4 of the brandy (reserve the rest for later). Turn off the heat first if using a gas stove.

Gradually stir in the water (which may already be mushroom stock) until smooth. Stir in the rehydrated dried mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. Grind in some pepper, cover, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes (an hour is better).

Wash fresh mushrooms, trim woody bits, and slice them thin.

Heat a thick film of olive oil and melted butter (or just oil) in a wide pan. Stir in the mushrooms, add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir until they release water and start simmering.

Once the water boils out, stir constantly to prevent burning. Fry until they've shrunk a lot and are brown. Stir in minced garlic and fry for a few minutes. Deglaze with the remaining brandy (off the heat if using gas) and set aside.

When the soup base has simmered, puree it until smooth. For extra smoothness, pass it through a sieve and discard the fibers.

Stir in the cooked fresh mushroom mixture and 3/4 of the cream. Gently boil the soup for a few minutes until the cream thickens slightly.

Taste and adjust seasoning, likely needing more salt. If no alcohol was used, add a splash of vinegar. Add more cream if needed, reserving some for garnish.

Serve the soup hot in bowls, optionally drizzling with reserved cream and garnishing with fresh herbs.