Recipe: Crystal Cruises' Mushroom Soup & Norwegian’s Legend Reviver

If you love mushrooms, then you’ll want to celebrate National Mushroom Day on October 13. Who even knew there was such a day? This heavenly and very creamy soup, served in a hollowed-out bread bowl is a guest favorite at Prego, the restaurant on Crystal’s Serenity and Symphony ships. Pair this soup with Norwegian’s Legend Reviver and this meal is sure to be a winner. In fact, Wade Cleophas from Norwegian Escape won Bacardi’s Legacy Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year with this cocktail.

Mushroom Soup – Crystal Cruises

Ingredients

• 1 oz dried morels, or 2 oz fresh morels
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup portobello mushroom, finely sliced
• 2 oz white mushrooms
• 3 oz fresh porcini mushrooms, finely sliced
• 3 shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and white pepper 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
• Leaves from 1 fresh thyme sprig, minced
• Leaves from 1 fresh oregano sprig, minced 
• 2 large fresh basil leaves, chopped 
• 4 6-inch round bread loaves
• Fresh rosemary sprigs 

Instructions 

• If using dried morels, wash the caps and soak them in warm water to cover for 10 minutes. Remove the stems and discard them. Cut small morels in half and large ones into 3 or 4 pieces. 
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté all the mushrooms for about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add the wine, and cook to reduce the liquid by half.
• Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer the soup for about 25 minutes.
• in a blender or food processor, purée half the soup until very smooth. Return the purée to the pan. Stir in the parsley, thyme, oregano, and basil and cook for about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm. 
• Crystal serves this soup in oregano bread cups. Any plain or flavored bread loaf may be substituted, but this soup is also delicious simply served in shallow soup bowls. If you are using the bread bowls: 
  • Preheat the oven to 200°F.
  • Cut off the top of each bread loaf. With a large spoon, remove the soft inner part of the bread.
  • Place the loaves on a baking pan and warm in the oven for about 5 minutes. Remove the warm bread loaves from the oven and pour the hot soup into the bread cups.
  • Garnish with the rosemary sprigs and serve.

Legend Reviver - Norwegian Cruise Line

Ingredients 

• 2 oz BACARDÍ® OCHO (8) ANOS
• 0.75 oz Star Anise Infused Sweet Vermouth
• 0.25 oz Caramel/Cinnamon Syrup
• 3 Drops of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters
• Mist of Absinthe
• Garnish: Lemon Peel and Star Anise 
• Infusion/Syrup:
  • Infusion: 12 Star Anise pods infused with 1 Liter of Sweet Vermouth for 8 hours
  • Syrup: 2 part Monin Caramel syrup to 1 part Monin Cinnamon syrup

 Instructions 

• Mist serving glass with Absinthe and set aside
• Add Bacardi 8, Vermouth, Syrup and Bitters into a mixing glass
• Add ice to the mixing glass until it is about 3/4 full
• Stir until all the liquid touches the ice
• Strain liquid into a serving glass
• Garnish with lemon peel and star anise