Chanterelle Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to eat chanterelles? ›

You pan-fry them in a dry skillet for a bit before introducing butter, along with garlic if you wish, to finish the mushrooms and provide a soft, velvety mouthfeel with just a bit of crunch around the edges. Eat the chanterelles by themselves, in an omelet, or just spooned over a good steak.

Their firm texture and strong earthiness go well with herbs like sage, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme. They are good in stews with rich stocks and go very well with roasted corn and with mild, creamy goat cheese.

Chanterelle mushrooms are an excellent source of polysaccharides like chitin and chitosan. These two compounds help to protect your cells from damage and stimulate your immune system to produce more cells. They're also known to help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of developing certain cancers.

Cleaning Chanterelles and Similar Mushrooms

Start cleaning your mushrooms hours before you use them and you'll have clean dry mushrooms when you're ready to cook. You can even do this the day before. Clean chanterelles require just a little brushing, but from some habitats they're dirty and must be washed.

The best time to forage for chanterelles is during late summer and early fall, typically from July to October.

The main reason for chanterelles' $224-per-pound price is that they're infamously difficult to cultivate. They mostly grow in the wild, meaning they must be foraged, and they require a period of heavy rainfall in a coniferous forest, followed by several days of continuous heat and high humidity.

Chanterelles are highly prized for their flavor, which is often described as a mix of fruity, nutty, and peppery notes with a mild and delicate aroma. They have a meaty texture that can hold up well in cooking.

How do you know that you're in possession of Rainbow Chanterelles, rather than another gold-toned chanterelle? According to the literature, Rainbows are distinguished by bright orange veins or false gills. Their caps are a duller color than the Pacific Goldens and often exhibit a pinkish bloom near the edge.

Avoid Eating Raw

If chanterelle mushrooms are taken raw, they can cause nausea and vomiting. Some people may be completely fine even after eating them raw. However, to consume them safely, it is better to cook them before eating to prevent unintended side effects.

Some people may also be allergic to certain types of mushrooms, including chanterelle mushrooms (24). If you experience any adverse side effects after eating chanterelle mushrooms, such as hives, itching, or digestive issues, stop eating right away and consult your doctor or an emergency hotline.

Do you eat the stems of chanterelle mushrooms? ›

They're prized for their delicate flavor. Both the stems and caps are edible. Nutritionally, chanterelle mushrooms are high in fiber, and contain vitamin B and D–and some trace minerals, as well.

Start by heating a large skillet over medium-high heat and adding a tablespoon of butter. Once the butter has melted, add the Chanterelle mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and golden brown. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant.

If you want to store mushrooms, keep them in the refrigerator in a paper—not plastic—bag. Chanterelles store longer than most mushrooms—up to ten days. Or, you can give them a quick saute in butter until they release their moisture and freeze them for up to a year.

They can also spend up to a day in the refrigerator before cooking. After they have been properly dried, transfer them to a brown paper bag for storage. The paper allows the mushrooms to breathe so they don't get slimy and it also keeps some moisture trapped inside so they don't dry out and turn woody.

Like most mushrooms, chanterelles tend to avoid areas that are either too dry or too bright, opting instead for moister, canopied forests that provide nice, filtered light and shade for fungus to thrive. Chanterelles thrive in older forests or areas heavily populated with coniferous trees after a rainfall.

Chanterelles keep best in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic container. Use paper towels to prevent the mushrooms from touching plastic. Change the paper towels when they become wet from condensation. The total time you can store chanterelles varies, depending on the condition of the mushrooms when they were picked.

If you want to store mushrooms, keep them in the refrigerator in a paper—not plastic—bag. Chanterelles store longer than most mushrooms—up to ten days. Or, you can give them a quick saute in butter until they release their moisture and freeze them for up to a year.