MUSHROOM KETCHUP

      Title: MUSHROOM KETCHUP
  Categories: Condiments, Sauces, Vegetables, Dips, Vegetarian
       Yield: 4 Cups
  
   1 1/2 lb Mushrooms, firm & fresh
   1 1/2 tb Pickling salt
       1 oz Dried boletus mushrooms
       3 c  Hot tap water
       2 c  White wine vinegar
       3 lg Shallots, peeled -=OR=-
       1 sm Onion, peeled
       1 ea Garlic clove, peeled
      10 ea Whole allspice -=OR=-
     1/4 ts Ground allspice
       4 ea Whole cloves
       3 lg Mace blades
       2 ea Bay leaves
     1/2 ts Ground ginger
     1/2 ts Freshly ground pepper
     1/4 c  Medium or dry sherry
  
   Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, or brush them clean. Avoid
   washing them if possible; if it is necessary, swish them rapidly
   through a bowl of water and lift and drain them promptly. Trim off
   any discolored stem ends or damaged portions.  Slice the mushrooms
   thin (a food processor fitted with the thin-slicing disc makes short
   work of this task) and mix them thoroughly with the salt in a ceramic
   bowl. Cover mushrooms with a cloth and let them stand 24 hours,
   stirring occasionally. They will become very dark (the finished
   ketchup will be approximately the color of black bean soup). At least
   an hour before the end of the salting period, combine the dried
   boletus mushrooms with the hot tap water; let them stand, covered,
   until completely soft. Lift the soaked mushrooms from their liquid
   with a slotted spoon (this is to eliminate any grit that may be in
   the liquid) and place them in the container of a blender or food
   processor. Let soaking liquid settle for a minute or two, then
   carefully pour it over the mushrooms, stopping before any grit is
   poured out. Puree the soaked mushrooms, then pour the puree into a
   preserving pan. Without rinsing the blender container, puree the
   salted mushrooms; add this puree to that in the pan. Place about 1/2
   cup of the vinegar in the blender and add shallots and garlic;
   process them to a puree. Add this puree to the mixture in the pan,
   together with the rest of the vinegar, the allspice, cloves, mace,
   bay leaves, ginger and pepper. Bring the mixture to boiling over
   medium-high heat, lower heat, and simmer the ketchup, uncovered,
   stirring it often, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the tiny fragments
   of mushroom are very soft, almost jellylike, and the ketchup is
   thick. To test for correct consistency, pour a spoonful onto a saucer
   and let it stand 10 minutes, with the pot off the heat; if very
   little or no liquid seeps from the solids, the ketchup has thickened
   enough. If it does not pass this test, resume the cooking for as long
   as necessary. Press ketchup through a sieve to remove the bay leaves
   and whole spices, then puree it again, in batches if necessary, in a
   blender or food processor, running the machine until the texture is
   velvety smooth. Return ketchup to the rinsed-out pan and bring it to
   a full boil again over medium-high heat, stirring it constantly. Stir
   in the sherry. Ladle the boiling-hot ketchup into hot, clean
   half-pint or pint canning jars, leaving 1/4" of headspace. Seal jars
   with new two-piece canning lids according to manufacturer's
   directions and process for 15 minutes (for either size jar) in a
   boiling-water bath. Cool, label and store the jars. Let ketchup
   mellow for a few weeks before serving it. Keeps for at least a year
   in a cool pantry.
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