Mushroom & Bacon Dip

By á-10847

It's definitely a more involved recipe that requires some time and attention to preparation, but we found the results well worth the effort. This makes a really large quantity of dip, and we served it with toasted baguette slices. Delicious! VERY rich, but perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

• 3 dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 large or 2 small leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise, washed well
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pound cremini, white, or shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped, plus sliced mushrooms for garnish (optional)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 package (8-ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sour cream (16-ounces)
• 3 tablespoons sliced scallions (dark-green parts only), plus more for garnish
• Waffle Chips for serving (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

In a small bowl, soak porcini in the boiling water until soft, about 20 minutes. Working over the bowl, lift out porcini, and squeeze out liquid. Coarsely chop porcini. Pour liquid through a fine sieve into another bowl, and reserve.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Pour off rendered bacon fat, reserving 1/4 cup. Wipe skillet clean. Coarsely chop bacon.

Return 3 tablespoons bacon fat to skillet. Add leek and garlic; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until trans-lucent, about 2 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms and porcini, then the salt and pepper. Raise heat to high; cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add thyme; cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate; let cool.

With an electric mixer, whisk cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add sour cream; whisk until smooth. By hand, stir in mushrooms, three-quarters of the bacon, scallions, and 2 tablespoons porcini liquid. If necessary, add more porcini liquid to reach desired consistency.

Garnish dip with scallions and remaining bacon. If desired, cook sliced mushrooms in remaining tablespoon bacon fat in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Scatter over dip. Serve with waffle chips if desired.