Mashed Potatoes with Homemade Gravy

Ingredients 
Mashed potatoes

8 potatoes, peeled        
½ cup of butter, melted
½ cup of milk, room temperature 
Salt and pepper to taste
 

For Gravy

4 tablespoon of butter  
4 tablespoon of flour 
4 cups chicken stock

Methods

Mashed potatoes 
1) Cut potatoes in small cube, cover with salted water, and boil just until tender (about 20  minutes or so). Drain well (important). Once drained, put the uncovered pan of potatoes on the burner over medium heat for just a couple of minutes; this will steam off any additional water so your potatoes will be fluffier – be careful not to scorch them. 
2) Once all water has evaporated, remove the potatoes from the heat and immediately add the butter and milk. Mash with potatoes masher, just enough to remove the lumps – do not stir them, as your potatoes will end up like glue. Salt and pepper to taste. 
Gravy 

1) In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until melted – but not burned.
2) Add the flour and whisk until it’s well incorporated – important to cook at least 1 minute so the flour taste is absorbed – whisking continually.
3) Add the chicken stock and whisk until thick. If you’d like it a little thicker, keep it on the burner a little longer so that it cooks down prior to serving it.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoon of unsalted butter

800g of sliced fresh mushrooms

1 pinch salt

1 yellow onion, diced

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

sprinkle of thyme

2 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves for garnish, or to taste

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; stir in and cook mushrooms in butter with 1 pinch salt until the mushrooms give off their juices; reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms turn to golden brown, in approx. 15 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired. Add in diced onion into the pot and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.
2. Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Add thyme into mushroom mixture; followed by garlic cloves. Pour chicken stock and water into mushroom mixture. Bring it to simmer and cook for 1 hour.
3. Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick.
4. Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and black pepper and serve in bowls, garnished with reserved mushroom slices.