Celebrate chanterelles: Timeless culinary gems

Yellow-orange mushrooms with a unique taste and aroma have graced European tables for centuries, as evidenced by browsing through old cookbooks. Chanterelles can be used in many delicious ways. Here are a few interesting tips...

A delicious addition to rice or pasta. This simple dish also tastes great with a slice of fresh, crispy bread.

To prepare it, we need about 450 grams of fresh chanterelles. First, they should be cleaned of sand and remnants of forest litter. The best way to do this is dry, with a soft brush and a small knife. Alternatively, you can use this method: put the mushrooms in a bowl, sprinkle them with wheat flour and fine salt, then cover them with cold water. After rinsing under running water, they should be free of any impurities. However, chanterelles should not be soaked for too long as they will become rubbery.

Cut the cleaned mushrooms into smaller pieces. Finely chop the onion and sauté in butter, then add the chanterelles, frying until they begin to brown. Add 200 millilitres of 30% cream, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Serve the dish sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Cut a few potatoes (4-5) into cubes and cook in salted water. Then cut the cleaned chanterelles (about 450 grams) into fairly large pieces and sauté in butter (50 grams). Cook or reheat broth, vegetables or meat, such as from duck and turkey (2 litres), add a handful of barley groats, and after fifteen minutes, add the cooked potatoes and chanterelles. Cook for a few more minutes, season with salt and pepper, and finally, thicken with half a cup of sour cream. Serve the chanterelle soup generously sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Looking for an original addition to bread, baguette, crostini, or toast? Prepare chanterelle paste.

First, hard-boil four eggs. Then sauté finely chopped onion in clarified butter, and when it becomes translucent, add the cleaned chanterelles (300-400 grams). Sauté for a few minutes until the mushrooms release their juices and partially reabsorb them. Add chopped eggs to the cooled chanterelles with onion and blend everything into a reasonably smooth mass. Finally, you can add a spoonful of cream cheese or ricotta. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg (a pinch), and optionally fresh herbs, such as chopped rosemary or dill. Mix, then chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

The famous Italian dish is appreciated for its creamy consistency and flavour from various additions. Chanterelles will also work great in risotto.

Clean the mushrooms (400 grams), cut them into smaller pieces, and sauté in butter. In a separate pan, sauté finely chopped onion and garlic (2 cloves), then add arborio rice, perfect for risotto (300 grams). Fry for a moment, and when the rice becomes translucent, add white wine (100 millilitres), stirring until it evaporates. Then, gradually add vegetable broth (1.5 litres), stirring constantly – the rice should absorb all the liquid. Add the chanterelles, butter (50 grams), and grated Parmesan (100 grams)—season with salt and pepper. After 2-3 minutes, serve, sprinkling the dish with Parmesan.

A delicious idea for a snack or appetizer to serve at a home party.

Clean the chanterelles (300-400 grams), cut larger ones into pieces. Finely chop garlic (2 cloves) and sauté in clarified butter, then add the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes. Toast the bread (4 slices) in a toaster or pan. Prepare poached eggs (4) – boil 1 litre of water in a saucepan, acidify it with 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice, stir to create a whirlpool, into the centre of which you pour the egg, stop stirring, and cook for 3 minutes, then gently remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Place a portion of chanterelles on each slice of bread and a poached egg on top. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped chives.