1 lb. fresh mushrooms
1 qt. chicken broth
1 med. onion, chopped
7 tbsp. butter
6 tbsp. flour
3 c. milk (I use skim)
1 c. heavy cream (or half and half)
1 tsp. salt (or more)
White pepper
Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp. sherry (optional)

1. Wash mushrooms and cut off stems. Slice 6 caps and reserve. Discard any dried ends from the stems. Grind or chop the remaining caps and stems very fine. Simmer, covered, in the broth with the onion 30 minutes.

2. Saute the reserved sliced caps in 1 tablespoon of butter and reserve for garnish.

3. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir with a wire whisk until blended. Meanwhile bring the milk to a boil and add all at once to the butter-flour mixture, stirring vigorously with the whisk until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Add the cream.

4. Add the mushroom-broth mixture with the sauce and season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Reheat and add the sherry before serving. Garnish with sauteed mushrooms. Makes 2 quarts.