I fermented my first wild mushrooms about 7 or 8 years ago. Every cook has stages they go through as they learn, and fermentation, at that point in time, was my obsession. Similarly, another cook where I worked was fixated on candying things, all the things: carrots, jalapeños—you name it, if it could fit in…
Chanterelles
Cantharellus phasmatis, (pictured from Minnesota) is one of the finest mushrooms in the world.
Chanterelles and their friends: various types of golden chanterelles, yellowfoot chanterelles, black trumpets, red chanterelles, and others. If you're new to chants, check out my basic guide to golden chanterelles. If you have some you'd like to cook, try them wet sauteed, or in just about any wild mushroom recipe on this website, especially mushrooms cooked with garlic and parsley and in a simple chanterelle pasta.
Pork Terrine with Chanterelles and Foie Gras (Pate de Girolles)
When I was in Provence on vacation a few years ago, some of the best food I had wasn’t in fancy restaurants, it was in small places, you know, spots where locals hang out. The good spots, independent and run by families, most of them. One of the best memories I have of eating was…
The Blue Chanterelle: Polyozellus multiplex
I remember a time when I knew the word chanterelle, a type of golden mushroom French chef’s loved, and, that was it. Even after I cooked my first ones in a restaurant, I still only knew the golds. I knew nothing. I don’t think I could’ve ever imagined how complex and beautiful Nature’s chanterelle palette…
Blue Chanterelle Jerky
When I started pulling apart clusters of blue chanterelles / Polyozellus multiplex in my kitchen, just handling them told me one of the first things to do. These are fascinating mushrooms, with a scent that’s almost smoky, and a texture that’s tender and soft. I thought they could make even better jerky than hen of…
Grouse Wild Rice with Wild Mushrooms
While I was up north hunting matsutake last week, I completely forgot that I was going to be hunting at the same time as grouse season opener. As I walked on the trails I’d charted, it seemed like every 30 minutes or so I’d inadvertently flush a few birds. After two birds made me jump…
Wild Mushroom Conserve with Walnut Oil
I have a lot of different ways I like to preserve mushrooms I’ve learned or come up with myself over the years. This method is one of the more interesting ones, and, I can’t take credit for it. When I started working at Heartland, with it’s daily changing menu that the staff collaboratively designed, one…
Pig Ear Mushrooms / Gomphus clavatus and Friends
Mushroom hunter: “Hey Alan, do you know what mushroom this is?” Me: “Err, hold on, ok. Send me your GPS coordinates immediately along with panorama photos and no harm will come to you or your family.” That sort of scenario is why I sift through plenty of ID requests and pics from random numbers every…
Yellowfoot Chanterelle Broth with Tiny Pasta
Midwestern yellowfoot chanterelles are small–no doubt about it. As such, their the sort of ingredient that is so difficult to source in volume as to make them near impossible to find on a restaurant menu, no matter the cost. They’re literally a chef’s dream, and I made one of the best wild mushroom soups I’ve…
