How to Cook Dry Chanterelles

By: Esperance Barretto

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Prized by culinary experts for their golden yellow color, apricot-like and peachy flavor, dry chanterelles have a meaty texture and a fruity, nutty taste that blend well with a variety of foods, including omelets, meat, fish, soups, sauces and pastas. Clean and reconstitute dry chanterelles in warm water before mildly seasoning and sautéing them to enhance their natural taste; avoid overcooking dry chanterelles to prevent them from turning chewy.

Step 1

Place the mushrooms in a colander. Run cold tap water over them and rinse well to remove any dirt deposits.

Step 2

Bring water to a rolling boil in a pot on high heat. Remove the pot from the heat and place the rinsed dry chanterelles in it to reconstitute them. Ensure that the mushrooms are covered with water. Place a lid over the rehydrating mushrooms and let them rest for around 15 minutes. One ounce of dry chanterelle mushrooms reconstitutes to around four ounces.

Step 3

Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms from the liquid in which they are soaking. Strain the liquid with a strainer or cheesecloth to remove any odd bits of dirt. You can retain the liquid, which is the stock of the dry chanterelle mushroom, to use in the recipe you are preparing, or store in the refrigerator for use later in a sauce or soup.

Step 4

Squeeze out excess liquid from the reconstituted mushrooms and place them on a chopping board. Cut off any tough parts from the stem. Use the mushrooms whole or slice them into chunky bits.

Step 5

Heat a little butter in a pan. Sauté the dry chanterelles on medium heat until soft, or for around four minutes. Use the cooked mushrooms as desired on their own served with crackers, as a side dish with steak, or as an ingredient in stir-fries, pasta and rice dishes.