Title: Beef Barley Soup
Categories: None
Yield: 1 Servings

1 tb Clarified butter; unsalted
1 tb Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly
-ground pepper
2 lb Beef shoulder; cut in 1/2"
-pieces
2 sm Yellow onions; peeled and
-chopped
8 c Beef stock; more if needed
1 Boquet garni: rosemary;
-thyme, bay leaf
3/4 c Pearl barley
3 Carrots; peeled, 1/2" pieces
3 Parsnips; peeled, 1/2"
-pieces
1 lb Mixed mushrooms*; cut in 1"
-pieces

* Such as cultivated white, cremini, yellowfoot, chanterelle, hedgehog, or
black trumpet

1. Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season beef
with salt and pepper. Sear meat in two batches on all sides until well
browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set
aside. Add onions and cook, stirring constantly, until well caramelized,
about 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Return meat to pot, and add stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and
simmer for 1 hour. Add bouquet garni, barley, and vegetables, and simmer
for 1 hour, adding more stock if necessary. Adjust seasonings.

NOTES : The addition of exotic mushrooms to flavorful homemade beef stock
turn a familiar favorite--beef barley soup--into a special winter meal.
Serve with crusty bread, a robust red wine, and a salad, and you'll have a
deliciously comforting meal . Cultivated white button mushrooms are the
type commonly found in most supermarkets. However, wild mushrooms such as
the ones used in this soup, are increasingly available. Look for cremini or
Italian brown mushrooms, which look like a darker version of the white
variety, but are light tan with an earthier flavor. Black trumpet mushrooms
are trumpet-shaped, as the name implies, and mildly fragrant. The
yellowfoot is a golden, trumpet-shaped variety. Pumpkin-colored
chanterelles possess a delicate, nutty flavor. The oddly named hedgehog
mushroom get its name from the tiny spines under its cap.
Recipe by: Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com

Posted to recipelu-digest by "Valerie Whittle" on Feb
21, 1998