Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup rice
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• ½ cup sherry or brandy
• 1 oz. dried Morel mushrooms
• Kosher salt to taste
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Sliced chives or wild onion for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat stock, then pour over morels and allow to hydrate for 30 min. Swish to remove grit. Remove mushrooms and reserve then strain the liquid and keep separate. Separate mushrooms into 2 piles. Save the prettiest, smallest mushrooms that will fit on a spoon to garnish and rough chop other half.
2. Sweat onion in 2 Tbsp of butter for 5 min. Add rice and cook for a minute more. Add sherry and reduce by half. Add stock and chopped morels, bring mixture to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes on low heat or until rice is tender.
3. Transfer mix to blender, add cream, and puree until very smooth – a minute or two starting on low speed and moving to high. Gradually add 3 Tbsp of butter. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
4. To Serve, heat reserved pretty morels in remaining butter until caramelized and lightly browned. Spoon onto hot soup, garnishing with chives or wild onions.