Every fall, I find myself on Northwest trails gathering chanterelles and then frantically trying to use them in every meal. A few years ago, someone told me to try freezing them in water. This batch was frozen last October and tasted just as good today as they did back then! This delicious recipe does them justice in the best of ways, too!
Chanterelles on Toast
2 T (27 g) extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound (454 g) fresh chanterelles
2 T (29 g) sherry vinegar
1 T (14 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice (half lemon)
1 cup (237 g) vegetable stock
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 T (14 g) cold unsalted butter
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 slices toasted sourdough, for serving
4 T shaved Parmesan
Heat your largest fry pan over medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the chanterelles. Cook for 4 minutes without moving them around too much.
Add the sherry vinegar and the lemon juice and cook down until fully reduced. Add the stock and reduce by half (you are not exactly reducing so much as hydrating the mushrooms). Add the rosemary, thyme, parsley and butter. Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate the butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Evenly spoon the chanterelles over the 4 pieces of toasted bread and garnish with shaved Parmesan.
How to enjoy year round:
When the picking is good in the fall, carefully wash your chanterelles, pack them in water bath and freeze. When you’re ready to use them, defrost, absorb the excess water with paper towels and begin the recipe as above.
Adapted from a recipe by Hugh Acheson, New York Times Cooking
