By Katie Hurley
When living in the Pacific Northwest, there are certain seasonal delicacies one must consume during their short seasons (sunshine being among those things). As summer fades and fall sets in, one of our most valuable regional delicacies becomes abundant. That’s right… it’s chanterelle mushroom season. These flavorful golden mushrooms are plentiful right now, thanks to ideal growing conditions.
“There is a wonderful bumper crop this year,” according to John Dalelio of Mountain Stream Mushrooms LLC. “Because of early summer rain and a humid summer, they were picking early, in July, and it was so humid that they never dried up. They are popping up everywhere,” said Dalelio, who has been a mushroom broker for 13 years. Because of the bumper crop, the price of chanterelles is the lowest he’s seen in at least 10 years.
Also available during this time of year are morel and matsutake mushrooms. Matsutake mushrooms, typically among the most expensive mushrooms in the world, are plentiful this year in the Randle area of the Cascade Mountains. While matsutake mushrooms are on the expensive side for everyday dining, morels and chanterelles are perfect for livening up fall comfort food. And not just for dinner. “Scrambled eggs with chanterelles or morels is a real treat,” says Dalelio. Brush the mushrooms clean with a towel, sauté in butter, and spoon them over scrambled eggs seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh chives.
When cooking with chanterelles, fat is an important component to bring the flavor out of the mushrooms. Whether you prefer butter, olive oil or cream, some sort of fat is essential. Chanterelles also lend themselves well to cooking with wine. Tyler Florence’s Red Wine and Wild Mushroom Sauce is a great accompaniment to a rib roast or any steak. A very similar Wild Chanterelle White Wine Cream Sauce is lovely with a pork roast or served over fettuccine.
While there are a lot of fancy ways to cook with chanterelles, one of Dalelio’s favorites is to simply sauté them in toasted sesame oil, seasoned salt and butter, tossing in a little roasted garlic at the end. Enjoy them as a side dish or serve on toasted baguette slices.
This Chanterelle Chicken recipe from The Junior League of Olympia’s Northwest Inspirations: Flavors of South Puget Sound cookbook is hearty and delicious.
Chanterelle Chicken
Serves 4
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. dried oregano
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4-6 chicken thighs with skin
2 T. vegetable oil
8-12 chanterelle mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
½ c. chicken broth
1 ½ c. sherry
- Combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cook the chicken, covered, in the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for 25-30 minute or until golden brown, turning every 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Drain the skillet, reserving 1 T. of the drippings in the pan. Add the mushrooms to the drippings and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the broth and the chicken to the skillet. Cook, loosely covered, until the chicken broth is reduced by half.
- Add half of the sherry and cook. Loosely covered, until reduced by half. Add the remaining sherry and cook until reduced to the desired consistency. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice for a hearty fall meal.
And if the earthy, rich taste of sautéed chanterelles isn’t enough to tempt you, how about the nutritional value? Chanterelles are an excellent source of vitamin C, and are one of the richest natural sources of Vitamin D2.
Mountain Stream Mushrooms are available at locally-owned Bayview Thriftway and Ralph’s Thriftway stores. Bayview Produce Manager Trevor DeWispeleare sources many varieties of Mountain Stream Mushrooms throughout the year, but the chanterelles are featured prominently right now in a large display near the store entrance.
Bayview Thriftway
516 W. 4th Ave., Olympia
360.352.4897
Ralph’s Thriftway
1908 E. 4th Ave., Olympia
360.357.8011
