Chicken & Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms

Place the wild rice in a medium pot and add 6 cups of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain the rice reserving the cooking liquid and set aside.

Place the chicken breasts in the same pot and add the reserved rice cooking liquid and water or more chicken stock to cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the liquid and let cool. Reserve the cooking liquid. Shred the chicken into small bite size pieces, discarding the nasty bits.

Meanwhile, put the wild mushrooms in a microwave safe bowl, add 1 1/2 cups water and microwave on high until the water boils, let the mushrooms cool in the liquid, drain them reserving the liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook until just beginning to crisp. Add the fresh mushrooms, leeks, carrots, celery and chopped dried mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and it has reduced a bit.

Add the flour to the pot and stir until it begins to stick to the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the sherry and let it bubble for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the reserved chicken stock that the rice and chicken were cooked in and the additional 2 cups of chicken stock. Pour in the mushroom soaking liquid, leavng any grit behind. Add the cooked wild rice and shredded chicken and simmer to heat through, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the half and half and cook an additional minute or until hot. Serve.