Wild mushroom, sherry and hazelnut soup

Ingredients:

1 white onion/ 2 large shallots, chopped
50g/2oz cold butter
pinch of salt
400g/14oz wild mushrooms, trimmed (alternatively 250g/9oz dried mushrooms)
Splash of sherry
570ml/1 pint water
290ml/½ pint stock
salt and pepper to season
A few sprigs of thyme, picked
50g/2oz butter

For the garnish:
100g/3½oz wild mushrooms, prepared and washed
50-100g/2-3½oz of hazelnuts

Method:

1. Sweat the shallots in 1 oz of butter with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes, trying not to let them colour.
2. Add the mushrooms and continue to sweat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the sherry, reducing down for a minute or so, before adding the water and stock.  Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile sauté the garnish mushrooms and hazelnuts in butter.
5. When ready remove soup from heat and ladle the soup into a liquidiser, careful not to over fill the jug and start slowly before increasing the speed.  When all the liquid is blended, pass it through a fine sieve into a saucepan and keep on a very slow simmer. Cut the remaining butter in to small pieces and drop one by one into soup using a hand whisk to blend it in to leave a glossy finish.
6. Correct the seasoning and serve garnished with the sautéed mushrooms and hazelnuts and thyme leaves.

Serve with buttered toast and some good aged cheddar cheese.