With their delicate flavour and distinct apricot aroma, these are an attractive mushroom to choose. Make the most of them in the UK from late September to late December.
Unless you are an expert, be sure to buy wild mushrooms from a reputable source. They are often available at farmers markets.
Don’t store mushrooms in plastic as they will sweat and become slimy, but they will keep well in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for a couple of days. It’s really best to use them as soon as possible after you have bought them.
Dried chanterelles* (see below) are a great option if you can’t find fresh ones.
Preparing and cooking fresh mushrooms
You may need to slice off the earthy base of the stems. Don’t wash them as they will absorb the water and become mushy, but simply wipe them with a damp cloth.
Wild mushrooms should be thoroughly cooked to remove any mild toxins they may contain.
Cook them slowly as they toughen if cooked too quickly.
Fry them gently over very low heat in butter or olive oil or rapeseed oil with a little crushed garlic if you like, and perhaps some thyme leaves or oregano leaves, for 15 – 20 minutes.
Eat the fried mushrooms with sourdough toast generously buttered with Bungay butter or other high-quality butter. Add a poached egg or some crisp bacon too if you like and finally, for perfect balance, add a spoonful of parsley or other green pesto (see below link for recipe) – a simple but special meal.
*To reconstitute dried mushrooms, soak 25g in 250mls of hot water for 20mins.
Drain and use as fresh mushrooms but keep the liquid for stock or stews or gravy.
25g dried mushrooms will provide enough for 1 person as a meal with toast or 2 people for a meal with toast and a poached egg or some crisp bacon as mentioned above.
See also:
Ramsons or Rocket Pesto– you can substitute parsley leaves or basil leaves for ramsons or rocket.
Polenta with Two Cheeses, Mushrooms and Thyme
