fresh chanterelles

[weezycom]

Bought some at the local farmer's market today, a pint-sized basket. First time I've cooked them. Suggestions? I prefer something simple to highlight the flavor & texture. Right now I'm thinking sauteed with a bit of garlic & thyme and drizzle of cream swirled in at the end and served on toasted baguette slices, but I'm open to other suggestions.

[boyzoma]

My son and his wife are coming for Thanksgiving. They said these have been growing like crazy on their property. They promised to bring me some. I am really looking forward to this. I like to cut into big chunks and saute in butter - and sometimes add some marsala wine to them. So tasty.

[weezycom]

Thanks for all the responses. After reading thru, I think I'll go with sauteeing them with a shallot in butter & stock and serving over rice.

[chefj]

They make a great rissoto!

[sbp]

Check for dirt and sand first! Sometimes they can be awfully dirty, and it's no fun getting a mouth full of grit.

[rcallner]

That would be lovely, but you should know they do love garlic (in addition to your other things). And thyme. And a teeny splash of dry white wine.

[c oliver]

To each his/her own, but for me, really good mushrooms are the main flavor. I don't like "cluttering" the flavor up with other flavors.

[rcallner]

It may be the superabundance of this year's crop that makes me feel free to clutter - the other night we were really happy with chantrelles gently sauteed with shallots and garlic, over a bed of minced leeks reduced in vermouth, then mixed through with blanched peas and green beans, a hint of thyme, over polenta. No violent flavors, all got along together really well. (Ignore that kabocha dish to the south, though that was plenty ono, too.)

[c oliver]

That sounds and looks fantastic. That was ONE meal??? Wow.

I bought a FEW chanterelles recently. At $20/#, I don't have the same access obviously. Good for you.

[rcallner]

We are incredibly fortunate in our bounty out here. These beauties showed up on our porch as a portion of a donation from a particularly astute mushroom hunter.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Yeah it's been a bumper crop here, too. They were on sale at the local market for weeks for just $6.99, and have yet to go above $10. Roasted, sauteed, can't really go wrong, although I have found leaving them a skosh al dente preserves their flavor best.

[walker]

I've been seeing them lately at Costco for $10 for a 1 lb box (really fresh) -- thought it was a great deal, then later, at Monterey Mkt in Berkeley, saw them priced for $8 per pound! (Other stores sell them for $20 and up.)

[MGZ]

I sautee them into scrambled eggs. Serve with good toasted bread - simple, tasty stuff. I don't think their flavor is all that delicate, gentle sure, but deeper than many other fungii.

Perhaps you'll find the following interesting:

http://www.mssf.org/cookbook/chantere...

[tldmatrix]

Peel thin outer layer. Cut off the very end of the stem. Brush of dirt. Cook simply with garlic, shallot, thyme, butter, chicken stock, maybe some parmesan.
http://teenchefteddy.blogspot.com/

[c oliver]

Why do you peel? I've never heard of peeling any mushrooms.

I fixed chanterelles and shitakes a couple of nights ago. Just sauted in butter with a small amount of s&p. It was one of several side dishes with a rib roast. The high point of th meal, IMO.

[ipsedixit]

Cut off the stems, chop up the caps in big pieces (better to retain the mushroom's flavor). Then bake them for 20 minutes in chicken broth with coarsely chopped onions. Serve this over rice or pasta.

[al b. darned]

We used to get them from the woods behind our house in Vermont when I was a kid. Mon used to fry them in butter. No spices, no cream, and certainly no bread. Just eaten by themselves.

They have such a delicate (and awesome) flavor and I wouldn't want to dilute it by doing anything else to them.

[kleine mocha]

Yummm, When I live in Austria and it was chanterelle season, my favorite way to each them was as a sauce over Serviettenknoedel: If I recall correctly, you would saute a little onion, then add the sliced mushrooms, and finish up with sour cream and paprika, probably garnish with parsley. Don't remember whether you add chicken stock, or maybe wine; you could play around with those.

[weezycom]

Thanks. I had never heard of serviettenknoedel, so looked up recipes and found this one http://www.german-recipes-and-more.co...

Looks like a fun dish to try out.

[kleine mocha]

Yeah, in Vienna they use these fantastic Kaiser rolls to make them, but you could use any day-old baguette type bread. Of course you could serve the Schwammerl sauce over pork chops, or a not-too-strong flavored fish, or maybe chicken cutlets.

[jaykayen]

Sauteed until crispy in butter , sprinkled with fleur de sel.

Do one test batch first and taste to make sure your heat and time are right.