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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 red onions, 1/2 inch slice
  • 2 large leeks, whites only, halved, washed & cleaned, 1/4 slice
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
  • 4 shallots, sliced thin
  • 2 cups tawny port
  • 3 quarts chicken stock
  • 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, 1/4 inch dice
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons Wan Ja Shan soy sauce
  • 6 cups grated gruyere cheese (long pieces)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 4 baguettes, sliced 1'' thick, toasted dry, in oven until golden brown
  • 2 bunches chives, sliced thin for garnish
  • Shiitake chips (recipe follows)
For the Shiitake Chips
  • 1 quart shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/8" thin
  • Kosher salt

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.


Add red onions, leeks, garlic, ginger and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté ingredients until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the port, using a wooden spoon to scrape up and incorporate all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce liquid by half.

Add chicken stock, shiitakes, bay leaves and thyme. Add soy sauce. Turn heat down to simmer and reduce by a third.

Build your crocks by placing a layer of toasted baguette pieces, then a layer of grated cheese. Repeat for 1 (or 2) more layers.  Repeat until all crocks are finished.

Ladle soup in crocks over baguette layers (being sure to avoid including thyme sprigs or bay leaves.) Top with shiitake crisps and some additional gruyere cheese. Transfer crocks to oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Carefully remove crocks from oven, garnish with chives and serve.


For the Shiitake Chips:
Preheat a fryer (or high-sided sauté pan filled 1/3 with oil) to 325°F.

Add mushrooms in batches to not overcrowd. Cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.

Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt.

Repeat until all are finished.
 

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