Tag: chanterelles

Chanterelle mushrooms with fried potatoes.

It is chanterelle season on the mainland. Chanterelle mushrooms grow in damp acid soil, usually woodland, with lots of leaf litter. The mycelium lives in symbiosis with the tree roots, and in the later part of the summer, it produces delicious yellow mushrooms. We were lucky enough to be given a large container full, so I split it with my daughter. I think she cooked hers with spaghetti. I went with this recipe from ‘Dear Francesca’ by Mary Contini. 

This recipe is very free in quantities. Use what you have and divide it between the people who are with you. Add other options to the plate, such as hot-smoked salmon, or an omelette, or a steak. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and sliced, around 200g
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Chopped parsley
  • black pepper
  • a squeeze of lemon (optional)
  • 4-5 salad potatoes, such as charlotte potatoes
  • A blob of butter

METHOD:

  • Boil the potatoes until firm and tender. Cool and chop into bite-sized cubes. 
  • Warm the oil in a wok or wide-based saucepan, and fry the garlic with a little parsley.
  • Once the garlic is beginning to cook, turn up the heat and add the sliced mushrooms. Keep stirring. As they cook they will release quite a bit of water. Once the mixture is at its wettest (you’ll have to guess a bit) scoop out the mushrooms and set them aside. 
  • Add the blob of butter, and once it has melted, add the potatoes, and cook on a high heat until the potatoes are browned and crispy on the outside. 
  • Return the mushrooms to the pan, warm through and season with black pepper and a little lemon juice. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. 

Chanterelles with garlic and potatoes

I have been given some delicious foraged chanterelles from the mainland, and it is not an ingredient I get too often. I tried this very simple Italian recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Approx 125g chanterelles, cleaned and sliced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clover of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • approx 250g cooked salad potatoes, chopped
  • 15g butter

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the garlic and the parsley, and cook gently for a couple of minutes
  • Turn the heat up a bit and add the sliced chanterelles, and cook for around five minutes. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon, and mix in the lemon juice.
  • Add the butter to the pan, and then add the potatoes. Cook them on a high heat until they are getting crispy, and then return the chanterelles to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Serve once the mushrooms are warmed through. 
  • You could garnish with chive flowers, or chopped parsley. 

 

Chanterelles with tagliatelle in a cream sauce

A kind friend gave me a large paper bag that contained around 400g of chanterelle mushrooms, foraged from a secret location on the mainland. These are a rare treat, and are best cooked simply, going well with garlic and butter. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 90g unsalted butter, divided into two
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped, or half a large onion. 
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 60ml dry white wine
  • 400g chanterelles, brushed clean (halved if large)
  • 120ml double cream
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • A good pinch of dried oregano
  • Juice from half a lemon
  • 200g tagliatelle or pappardelle

METHOD

  • Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan, and fry the onion over a medium heat until softened. 
  • Season with salt and pepper, and add the garlic, cooking for a further couple of minutes.
  • Stir in the wine and continue cooking for another couple of minutes, reducing the sauce down.
  • Add the remaining butter, and when it has melted, add the mushrooms. Continue to cook, stirring from time to time, for a further five minutes.
  • Stir in the cream, oregano and a good grating of nutmeg, and continue to cook until it thickens a little, about another two minutes.
  • Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. 
  • Drain the pasta, return to the pasta pan, stir in the sauce with the lemon juice, and adjust the seasoning if required,
  • Serve in warmed bowls.