| 1 | Rinse the dried wild mushrooms well in a sieve under cold running water and soak them in the madeira for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. |
| 2 | Melt the butter in a soup pot. |
| 3 | Add the onions and cook, covered, over low heat until they are tender and lightly colored, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. |
| 4 | Trim stems from the fresh mushrooms and save for another use. |
| 5 | Wipe caps with a damp cloth and slice thin. |
| 6 | Add caps to the soup pot, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. |
| 7 | Carefully lift wild mushrooms from bowl with a slotted spoon and transfer to soup pot. |
| 8 | Let madeira settle a moment and then pour carefully into soup pot, leave sediment behind. |
| 9 | Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. |
| 10 | Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until dried mushrooms are very tender. |
| 11 | Strain the soup and transfer the solids to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. |
| 12 | Add 1 cup of the liquid and purée until very smooth. |
| 13 | Return purée to the soup pot wlong with remaining liquid and set over medium heat. |
| 14 | Taste, correct seasoning, and then the soup slightly with heavy cream if it seems too thick. |
| 15 | Heat until steaming and serve. |
| 16 | =the silver palate cookbook= |
