Wild Mushroom Season
I first learned to pick mushrooms from my dad, and although we picked quite a few varieties over the years, the type I pick the most now are chanterelle mushrooms. They are easy to find and identify, don’t have very close look-alikes that are poisonous and they are very delicious. Others I have picked on Vancouver Island are oysters, shaggy manes, lobster (my very favourite for eating) and morels - although I have a harder time finding these ones. I have picked boletes and cauliflower mushrooms with my dad but am not confident ID-ing them on my own. The Homesteading Huntress has a great post about harvesting wild mushrooms with many more links to identifying and finding them if you’re interested.
*Please note that wild mushrooms should always be cooked before eating, and you should never eat mushrooms you have not been able to identify 100%.
Chanterelle Mushrooms Growing In The Forest
BC is a great place for mushroom picking and if you have the time you can pick a lot and sell them to the mushroom buyers that set up shop during mushroom season. I had an aunt and uncle who would fund their yearly trip to Mexico by mushroom picking!
There are many ways to cook wild mushrooms and really you can just use any mushroom recipe that appeals to you but for chanterelle mushrooms I recommend a recipe that really highlights their flavor without overpowering them and also showcases their beautiful texture. They are more tender than store bought white mushrooms and have a sweet, earthy flavor that really tastes like fall to me.
Simple Chanterelle Mushrooms At The Pointe Restaurant At Wickaninnish
For the first mushrooms of the year, I always saute them gently in butter with a little salt and sometimes garlic. Served with a side of crusty bread and a glass of white wine, it heralds the arrival of fall and puts me in the mood to start appreciating the rain. (Follow West Coast Kitchen Garden on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up with these mushrooms!)
A few ways I use them are in soup (a no-brainer), on top of salad, in a white lasagna, on crostini, in stuffing for turkey, and in pasta. To store for the winter there are multiple ways to preserve. Some mushrooms are good for drying but the chanterelles seem to lose a lot of flavor this way and don’t keep quite as nice a texture. For storing the chanterelles, I clean them, coarsely chop and saute them, pack them into freezer bags or containers with some stock or butter to cover and freeze. I’ve had a lot of success with this method.
Today’s recipe (follow the link below) is a fairly classic risotto. I have kept the flavor profile simple so you can really taste the unique flavor of the wild mushrooms and then garnished the top with some browned and slightly crispy ones for a concentrated flavor on top. I hope you get a chance to get out mushroom picking this year or procure some at your local farmers market or grocery store because they really are a seasonal treat.
Classic Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto Recipe
