Chanterelles

Prime time in PA

Loving mushrooms gives you a different perspective on the weather. Rain and heat are ideal growing conditions and PA had plenty of both in July.

The chanterelles were happening. An avid forager, my husband John went out one afternoon and struck the motherlode, a full flush in peak condition. What commenced was a chanterelle feast of epic proportion. Chanterelle omelets in the morning, a chanterelle and corn galette one happy evening, and it was time to break out the frozen venison loin, sear it on the grill and top it with a chanterelle sauce.

Cantharellus cibarius is found in the forests of Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa. It fruits on the ground singly or in clusters usually near hardwoods like oak and conifers when the temperature and humidity are high. Attempts to cultivate the mushroom usually don’t work out because the roots of the trees and the chanterelles have a symbiotic relationship, the mushroom creating a sheath on the root tip of the tree to access carbohydrates and nutrients. You must get into the woods and down on your hands and knees to capture them.

And it is so worth your effort. Chanterelles are not only wonderfully fragrant and tasty, they are high in iron and copper to boost brain function, and very high in the B vitamin group that promotes skin health and reduces stress and the occurrence of migraines. Vitamin D in chanterelles decreases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. All these benefits for 21 calories in a one-cup serving—well, before the butter and the cream.

Foraging for chanterelles in the woods is best done with an expert as there are false chanterelles that resemble the real thing but don’t have gills that extend to the base of the mushroom. False chanterelles, Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, are likely to cause digestive upset. Another look-a-like is the jack-o-lantern mushroom, Omphalotus illudens, which is similarly orange in color but grows in clumps, and is highly toxic. Don’t eat anything that you aren’t 100% sure of.

But if you do find them, enjoy the apricot forest fragrance for as long as they hold fresh—usually just a few days in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Don’t clean them until you are ready to use them and then use a soft pastry brush to remove the forest debris, You can dry them in a dehydrator or in an oven set to 100°F for 24 hours. They maintain their fragrance when dried and are easily reconstituted with hot water.

A chanterelle omelet and venison loin with chanterelle sauce are two recipes that showcase the elusive mushroom.

Cooking chanterelles is simple—some butter, minced shallot or onion and garlic, and beaten egg makes a delightful omelet with some fresh chevre dolloped on top. Making a sauce for steaks is easy with dried chanterelles. Pour hot water over the dried mushrooms and allow them to steep for 30 minutes or so. Strain out the mushrooms and then filter the liquid through a coffee filter to eliminate any forest grit. Saute the mushrooms with onion/garlic/shallot and add a splash of red wine and let that evaporate. Add the soaking liquid and season with salt and a touch of pepper. The sauce can be thickened with a teaspoon or so of butter pressed into an equal amount of flour (beurre manie).  

Chanterelle and Fresh Corn Galette

(Based on a recipe from the earthly delights blog for a Rustic Wild Mushroom Tart, where I used the pastry recipe and then went off the rail with the filling.)

One batch of pie crust with butter (from the blog, which made enough for two)

Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup minced shallots

8 ounces fresh chanterelles, brushed clean and gently pulled apart or lightly chopped

4 ears of fresh corn, cooked in the husk in the microwave for 4 minutes or lightly boiled

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

Inside the pan Bechemel Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons AP flour

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup half and half (only because I ran out of heavy cream)

Salt and pepper

About 1/3 cup of chevre

One egg, beaten (to brush the pastry)

One to two tablespoons grated Parmesan

Make the pie crust and chill in the freezer while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan and add the shallots when the butter is melted and hot. Sauté until the shallots are translucent and then add the chanterelles. Remove the kernels from the cooked ears of corn, scraping the cob to get all the sweet corn juices.  When the chanterelles are softened, add the corn and sauté until the kernels are bright yellow.

Sprinkle in the thyme and stir and push the mixture to the edge of the pan so you have a clean center. Add the additional 2 tablespoons of butter and when it is melted in the center there, add the flour and cook until the center mixture bubbles up. Stir the center roux mixture into the chanterelle-corn mixture on the sides and cook until it is one thick mixture. Add the heavy cream and half and half and cook until it is all combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Dollop in the chevre and mix gently.

Roll out one slab of the chilled dough on a piece of parchment paper that fits into a large baking sheet until it is about a 12-inch round. Scoop the hot filling in the center of the dough and pleat the sides up to contain the filling. Brush the edges with beaten egg, and sprinkle lightly with the grated Parmesan. Bake for about 30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. Allow to set for 30-60 minutes and then slice and serve to your delighted guests.

Bob Anderson and Kim Tait are happy to taste the chanterelle galette on a summer evening in Central PA.