Portabella Mushroom Soup with a Dry Sherry Cream

This recipe is from my second cookbook "In the Kitchen with Michael Salmon" and serves 6.

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 pound portabella mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 small bay leaf

Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Sherry Cream (recipe below)

Croutons and coarsely chopped Italian parsley as garnish

Heat the canola oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sweat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced portabella mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the mushrooms begin to release their juice.
Stir in the flour and stir continually for 2 minutes. Add the dry sherry and white wine and cook for 2 minutes, using the spoon to release the flour mixture from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the bay leaf from the soup and puree the soup with either an immersion blender or a regular household blender until smooth and return it to the pan. Season with salt and white pepper and serve in a bowl with a dollop of the sherry cream, some croutons and coarsely chopped Italian parsley.

Sherry Cream

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon dry sherry

Small pinch of white pepper

Large pinch of kosher salt

Place the heavy cream in a cold mixing bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff. Add the sherry, salt and white pepper and whisk to combine.

Zeph wins first runner up award in Maine Lobster Cook Off

Congratulations Zeph!!! Yesterday at the Blaine House (the official residence of the Governor of Maine), the Hartstone Inn's Sous Chef, Zeph Belanger, was named first runner up in a state-wide Maine lobster cooking competition. Here he is pictured (holding his award) with Maine's First Lady Karen Baldacci. The annual competition for "Maine's Chef of the Year" is organized by the Maine Lobster Promotion Council and sponsored by Maine Food and Lifestyle Magazine.

Zeph's dish was a Maine Lobster Salad with Ginger, Daikon, Bacon and a warm Ponzu Dressing. Look for it on upcoming menus at the Inn. Zeph started working at the Hartstone Inn in October 2007 and has become a valuable member of our team. Like myself, Zeph started working in restaurants when he was a young teen-ager and was destined to excel in the kitchen. He is a very talented cook with great "kitchen sense," a drive and curiosity to learn and discover all there is to know about food. This spring, Zeph attended the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, California (Napa Valley) and took a course on Mediterranean cuisine.

Congratulations again Zeph, we are all very proud of you.

Click here to see Zeph's Recipe.

Photo courtesy of Jim Bazin - Creative Director, Maine Food and Lifestyle Magazine

Christmas Dinner Menu - Reserve Now

We're gearing up for the holidays. Come and savor the season with us and let our holiday decor put you in a festive mood. Our two-night gourmet getaway packages are available from $280-$440 (based on your room selection). If you're feeling like a little extra pampering, we would be happy to schedule a spa treatment for you in our new on-site massage room.

Chef Michael has put together the following menu for Christmas Dinner:

• • Goose and Spinach Cannelloni with a Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade


• • Maine Shrimp Bisque with a Brandy Cream


• • Cranberry Granite


• • Pepper and Thyme-Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding and Gruyere Gratin Potatoes


• • Eggnog Soufflé with a Vanilla Crème Anglaise

Happy Holidays from Camden, Maine!