John Miller
Chanterelle mushrooms are a delicious treat, packed with a savoury, woodsy flavour and a velvety, unctuous mouthfeel. They are generally collected or foraged from the wild, which makes them a little pricier than your average mushroom. But they are well worth the money, and there are several ways to cook them. You can dry sauté them, pan-fry them, or batter fry them. You can also boil them in herb vinegar, marinade them, and serve them to guests as an appetizer. This article will focus on how to fry chanterelle mushrooms.
Frying Chanterelle Mushrooms
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cleaning | Use a paper towel to rub off dirt. Alternatively, swish in cold water and brush clean. |
| Preparation | Cut into equally-sized pieces. |
| Cooking Method | Dry sautéing, pan-frying, or deep/shallow frying. |
| Cooking Temperature | Medium-high heat. |
| Cooking Time | 5-10 minutes, then 5 minutes after adding butter, garlic, and thyme. |
| Seasonings | Salt, black pepper, garlic, thyme, butter, olive oil, or duck fat. |
| Serving Suggestions | By themselves, in an omelet, with steak, or as a side dish. |
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What You'll Learn
Cleaning and preparing chanterelle mushrooms
Chanterelle mushrooms are notoriously dirty, so they often need to be thoroughly cleaned with water. If you don't clean them quickly, as water evaporates from the mushrooms, the dirt will stay, and it will get stuck on, and be very difficult to remove. To clean them, fill a sink with very cold water and swish the mushrooms in the water to remove grit. You can also use a brush to clean them.
After cleaning, cut the dirty stem from the mushrooms and then cut them into equally sized pieces. Keep in mind that the mushrooms will reduce in size as they cook. For smaller mushrooms, cut them in half, and for larger mushrooms, cut them into quarters.
Once your mushrooms are cleaned and cut, you can dry them with a paper towel and they are ready to be cooked.
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Dry sautéing
To dry sauté chanterelles, start by ripping or cutting cleaned mushrooms into equally sized pieces. They will reduce in size as they cook, so cut smaller ones in half and larger ones into quarters. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then place the mushrooms in the pan in an even layer. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the mushrooms, as this will help draw out moisture.
Cook for a few minutes, stirring often so the mushrooms don't stick to the pan. The mushrooms will soon start to release their liquid. Continue cooking for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has completely evaporated from the pan. Once the pan is dry, reduce the heat to medium-low and add butter, garlic, and thyme. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown and slightly crispy.
You can finish the mushrooms with olive oil, duck fat, or ghee, as well as butter, for a soft, velvety mouthfeel.
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Frying with a crisp coating
Chanterelle mushrooms are highly sought after by chefs and home cooks for their delicate flavour and prized for their high nutritional value. They are best cleaned soon after foraging to prevent dirt from getting stuck on them. To clean them, fill a sink with very cold water and swish the mushrooms in it one by one to remove grit.
To fry chanterelle mushrooms with a crisp coating, first, prepare the mushrooms by removing any dirt with a damp paper towel and cutting off any woody or thick stems at the bottom. Slice larger mushrooms in half and keep the smaller ones whole. Next, mix flour with curry powder or other seasonings, salt, and pepper in a bowl. You can also use paprika if you don't have curry powder. Toss the mushrooms in the flour mixture, tapping off any excess. Then, dip the mushrooms in beaten egg and toss them again in the flour mixture.
Heat some olive oil or avocado oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. You can also use butter for added flavour, but be careful not to burn it. Fry the coated mushrooms in the hot oil for about 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are nicely browned and crispy. You can also add some sliced garlic to the pan for extra flavour.
Serve the crispy fried chanterelle mushrooms as an appetizer or side dish, or make them the star of the meal. They go well with steak, chicken, or omelettes and can be garnished with herbs, lemon juice, or vinegar.
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Pan-frying
Chanterelle mushrooms are delicious and easy to cook. They are packed with moisture, so when you cook them, that moisture escapes. To avoid a soggy mess, it is best to 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.
To start the cooking process, add the mushrooms to a dry nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Don’t worry about sticking, just let the mushrooms sit on the bottom of the pan until they start to release their moisture. As the mushrooms cook, more and more moisture will escape into the pan. Continue to cook, pushing the mushrooms around the pan with a spatula from time to time to make sure they are all exposed to heat. While the mushrooms cook, thinly slice some fresh garlic. After a few minutes, moisture will no longer escape from the mushrooms. Continue to cook until all of the water in the pan has evaporated and the mushrooms once again rest on a dry bottom.
You can also dry sauté the mushrooms, which is a delicious and easy way to prepare this flavorful wild mushroom. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the mushrooms at the beginning, as this helps draw out even more moisture. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often so the mushrooms don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Soon the mushrooms will start releasing their liquid. Continue cooking the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has completely evaporated from the pan. Once the pan is dry again, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter, garlic, and thyme. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown and slightly crispy.
When pan-frying, it is important to cook the mushrooms on high heat, quickly. Don't hesitate to remove the mushrooms from the pan if you're cooking them with other things that take longer, or cook the mushrooms at the last minute in a separate pan and add them to the dish at the last minute. Gently caramelized chanterelles will taste the deepest.
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Storing cooked and raw mushrooms
Storing raw chanterelle mushrooms
Raw chanterelle mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator in a paper bag or a bowl loosely covered with a paper towel. They will last up to 10 days in the refrigerator. If the mushrooms turn slimy, discard them.
Storing cooked chanterelle mushrooms
Cooked chanterelle mushrooms can be stored in the freezer in freezer-safe bags or containers. Before freezing, saute the mushrooms in butter or oil until they release their moisture. Frozen cooked chanterelles can last for up to a year in the freezer.
Other methods of storing chanterelle mushrooms
In addition to refrigeration and freezing, there are several other methods of storing chanterelle mushrooms:
- Dehydrating: Chanterelle mushrooms can be dehydrated and stored in glass jars. However, this method can cause them to lose their fruity flavor and become rubbery when reconstituted.
- Pickling: Chanterelle mushrooms can be pickled by cooking them using the dry saute method and then adding them to a jar with a one-to-one mixture of water and vinegar, as well as any desired seasonings. Pickled chanterelles can be stored in the refrigerator or canned in a boiling water bath.
- Freezing without cooking: Some people also freeze raw chanterelle mushrooms without cooking them first. However, this method may not preserve the flavor and texture of the mushrooms as well as cooking them first.
Cleaning chanterelle mushrooms
It is important to clean chanterelle mushrooms before storing or cooking them. They can be cleaned by rinsing them under running water or dipping them into a bowl of water and using a vegetable brush to remove any dirt or grime. If the mushrooms are very dirty, it may be necessary to soak them in water for a few minutes before rinsing. After cleaning, the mushrooms should be dried thoroughly with a towel or paper towel before cooking or storing.
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