How and how long to fry and boil chanterelle mushrooms (+16 photos)?

Chanterelles are the most popular and sought-after mushrooms in our country. This is due both to their excellent taste and the safety of their harvest—these fruits are virtually impossible to confuse with poisonous ones. When mushroom season begins, many home cooks wonder how to properly prepare, store, marinate, and cook chanterelles. They are typically simply fried, although there are a myriad of other holiday and everyday dishes that use them.

Features of the species

Chanterelles are beautiful, tasty, and colorful mushrooms. Both true chanterelles and similar varieties—velvet, faceted, and blackberry yellow—are edible. Under favorable weather conditions, the first harvest can be collected as early as early June. In warmer regions, the season continues until late autumn. Chanterelles are never found alone; they always grow in large groups.

A distinctive feature of this species is its distinctive bright orange coloration, reminiscent of a fox's fur. Depending on environmental conditions and sunlight intensity, the color ranges from light yellow to brown and deep orange.

Young mushrooms have almost no stem; as they grow, the stem becomes more pronounced, and the cap becomes wavy. The flesh is firm, does not crumble, and has a pleasant, distinctive aroma. The stem is solid, gradually blending into the cap.

Thanks to their excellent taste, chanterelles have become a key ingredient in a huge number of festive and everyday dishes—they are pickled, dried, fried, stewed, used in soups and baked, and used to make sauces and gravies for side dishes.

How to cook chanterelles correctly?

Cooking these mushrooms has some unique features, but they're easy even for a novice cook. Various herbs and spices can be used to impart a refined flavor and aroma. Chanterelles pair well with bay leaves, allspice, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, and basil.

Preparing mushrooms for cooking

Take the harvested fruit and wash it thoroughly under running water. Trim off any roots or damaged areas, if necessary. Then place the caps and stems in a convenient saucepan, cover with cold water, and let sit for an hour. After this, rinse the fruit again under running water before cooking.

These mushrooms don't require long cooking times. If this is your primary cooking method, simply simmer them in salted water over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring constantly and skimming off any foam.

Before frying

Mushrooms also require additional heat treatment before frying. To do this, they need to be simmered in brine for at least 20 minutes.

It's usually prepared using 1 tablespoon of table salt per 1 liter of water. If desired, you can add a few bay leaves, basil, or allspice.

Before freezing

To freeze chanterelles, they need to be fully cooked to retain their flavor and nutritional value. Cover the mushrooms with cold water, add seasonings and salt (approximately 2 teaspoons per liter of solution), bring to a boil, and simmer over low heat until done.

Once the water has cooled, drain it and place the semi-finished product in storage containers. Once defrosted, the mushrooms can be used in a variety of dishes without further cooking.

Before marinating

To preserve mushrooms for the winter, you can pickle them. Cooking time depends on their size: small mushrooms (up to 5-6 cm) should be simmered over low heat for 15-17 minutes, while larger ones should take about 25-30 minutes. Add 30 g of table salt and 1 teaspoon of vinegar to 1 liter of brine.

Dried

Dried chanterelles must be soaked in water for 3-4 hours before cooking. Then, boil them for 20-30 minutes. Drying mushrooms does not require boiling. There are several drying methods:

• natural. To do this, simply spread the mushrooms in a single layer on a flat surface lined with baking foil or parchment paper and leave them in a well-ventilated area in direct sunlight. They will dry for seven to fifteen days;

  

• in the oven. Place the chanterelles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in an oven preheated to 45°C (113°F) for several hours. Leave the oven door slightly ajar. Thirty minutes before the end of cooking, increase the temperature to 60°C (140°F).
• in the refrigerator. To do this, simply place the prepared mushrooms on the bottom shelf in a single layer. They will dry there for 6 to 14 days;
• using a vegetable dryer. In this case, the cooking time will be about 5-6 hours, depending on the characteristics of your equipment.

Methods for preparing boiled mushrooms

Boiled chanterelles are used in a wide variety of dishes, not only as part of the daily diet but also as a festive centerpiece. Particularly popular are stews, soups, sauces, and dressings for potatoes and pasta.

Pickling

To marinate chanterelles, take a kilogram of boiled mushrooms, cover with water, and simmer for a second half hour. Then, per liter of the boiling water, add three teaspoons of cane sugar, two medium-sized bay leaves, four to five white allspice berries, five to six black peppercorns, and two cloves.

After 10-15 minutes, remove the bay leaf from the brine, add two teaspoons of salt and 2-3 shots of vinegar. Place the mushrooms in sterilized jars and pour the marinade over them. For long-term storage, store the finished dish in a basement or on a balcony.

Frying mushrooms

The most common dish is pan-fried chanterelles. To prepare this dish, the pre-boiled mushrooms are simmered, covered, for about half an hour.

Then add the fried onions, cream, and spices to taste. Cook uncovered for another 15 minutes. When serving, garnish with parsley and chives.

Salad

A salad with these mushrooms has a bright and rich flavor. To prepare the salad, take:

• chanterelles – 300 g;
• medium chicken fillet – 1 piece;
• hard cheese – 200 g;
• quail eggs – 6 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 small cloves;
• large onion – 1 pc.;
• canned pineapple – 1 can;
• mayonnaise to taste.

Cut the chanterelles into small slices or cubes, then fry them in sunflower oil with the onion in a frying pan. Season with salt. Then boil the skinless chicken fillet and quail eggs. Cut everything into strips approximately 1-2 cm in diameter. It's best to grate the hard cheese on a coarse grater. Mix the chicken, cheese, and eggs. Dry the pineapples slightly by draining the juice and placing them on a dry napkin. Place everything in a deep bowl and mix well.

Finely grate the garlic or crush it with a garlic press. Add to the mayonnaise and mix well. Greek yogurt, sour cream, light cream, or olive oil can also be used as a salad dressing. Add salt to taste. Before serving, garnish with pineapple chunks, quail eggs, or herbs.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Chanterelles are a delicious and healthy mushroom, but many questions arise when preparing them. The variety of culinary recipes that feature boiled mushrooms as a main ingredient has justifiably generated interest in this product. Here are some common questions:

The vast number of culinary recipes using boiled chanterelles will appeal to any home cook. They can be used as a standalone dish or as an additional ingredient. With simple cooking instructions, chanterelles will not only be a beautiful addition to the table but also provide significant health benefits thanks to their rich vitamin and mineral content.