Step 2

When mushrooms are soft, remove from water, squeezing most of the liquid back into the bowl. Trim away hard woody parts of the stems. Coarsely chop mushrooms, and set aside. Pour liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl—stop when a tablespoon or so of liquid remains, and discard it along with the grit. Combine strained liquid with water until you have 10 cups.