Chanterelle feast

Victor Sack said:

Chanterelles are plentiful here right now, so I bought a couple of
pounds of Lithuanian chanterelles, mostly small, round-capped specimens.

I had chanterelles alongside duck confit at Daniel Boulud
Brasserie in Las Vegas. I didn't mention them because
they're the only thing I didn't actually care for among all
the things I ate there. I think the mushrooms themselves
were fine, but the sauce was a bit overpowering. It was
some sort of demiglace/wine reduction, I think. But it
came off as a very strong bbq sauce with an odd tonality.
I couldn't tell exactly what was wrong with it other than
it seemed to need dilution to make it easier to taste. Maybe
it was actually too salty. The duck was good enough to
make up for all of it, and I had a spare order of the frites
to cover as a side.

--Blair

Plentiful chanterelles in my neck of the woods is a contradiction. What I
wouldn't give for fresh chanterelles again like I enjoyed in New England
years ago as a kid. They are incredibly rare, incredibly expensive here.

Sigh

Paul

"Victor Sack" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Chanterelles are plentiful here right now, so I bought a couple of
pounds of Lithuanian chanterelles, mostly small, round-capped specimens.

So, yesterday's dinner was tagliarelle ai gallinacci alla moda mia, i.e.
with chanterelle cream sauce. The Cipriani (yes, that one) brand
Tagliarelle appear to be a proprietary format. They are very similar to
fettuccine, but are very thin and dense, so they take only three minutes
to cook. It is egg pasta, with seven large eggs used per kilo (2.2
pounds). The dough is kneaded, pressed and rolled out 30 times and then
dried for at at least 12 hours. The result is very thin and dense pasta
sold for an extortionate price (6.80 euros ($9.25) per 250 g (a bit over
half a pound)). I have to say that the taste and texture, though very
nice, is nothing really special; save your money, says I.

Today's dinner was soupe aux girolles à ma façon.

Tagliarelle ai gallinacci alla moda mia
Tagliarelle with chanterelle cream sauce

Tagliarelle
250 g (a bit over half pound) chanterelles
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves fresh, still soft garlic, finely chopped
clarified butter for frying
salt and freshly-ground pepper
some chives, chopped

Clean the chaterelles with no water, of possible. (Mine were very
clean, so it was easy). Chop the large one, leaving small ones whole.
In a pan, fry onions in clarified butter until soft, add the
chanterelles and cook over medium-high heat until the water they exude
evaporates (my chanterelles contained very little water). Continue
cooking over medium-low heat, adding the garlic half way through.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Towards the end of cooking, boil
the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain and add to the sauce together
with a couple tablespoons of pasta water. Toss well, sprinkle with
chives and serve at once.

Soupe aux girolles à ma façon
Soup with chanterelles

2.5 l (2.5 quarts) mix of beef, chicken and mushroom stock, preferably
all home-made, with mushroom stock predominating
about 500 g (a bit over a pound) fresh chanterelles
about 50 g (1.8 oz) pearl barley (large-sized)
4 smallish potatoes, diced
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
some chives, chopped
optionally, sour cream

If the stock mix is too concentrated, dilute with water, as the soup
will get more concentrated mushroom taste from the chanterelles. Cook
pearl barley in water until not quite ready, drain. Rinse the
chanterelles briefly and chop the large ones. Heat the stock mixture
and add the chanterelles, pearl barley, and potatoes. Simmer for about
15 minutes. Season to taste and serve, optionally putting a dollop of
sour cream in each plate and sprinkling with chives.

Victor

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:56:21 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Plentiful chanterelles in my neck of the woods is a contradiction. What I
wouldn't give for fresh chanterelles again like I enjoyed in New England
years ago as a kid. They are incredibly rare, incredibly expensive here.

Sigh

Paul

Where are you, Paul? I think I heard something about California...but
I could be mistaken.

If you are in northern California, and live a reasonable distance from
the SF bay area, I can tell you of two good places to get
chanterelles, and at a decent price.

If you live in southern California, I know there is a man at the Santa
Monica Farmers market that sells wild mushrooms.

Christine

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:56:21 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Plentiful chanterelles in my neck of the woods is a contradiction. What I
wouldn't give for fresh chanterelles again like I enjoyed in New England
years ago as a kid. They are incredibly rare, incredibly expensive here.

Sigh

Paul

Where are you, Paul? I think I heard something about California...but
I could be mistaken.

I live in eastern Los Angeles county, about 20 minutes east of Pasadena.

Quoted message said:

If you are in northern California, and live a reasonable distance from
the SF bay area, I can tell you of two good places to get
chanterelles, and at a decent price.

If you live in southern California, I know there is a man at the Santa
Monica Farmers market that sells wild mushrooms.

I'd sure be interested in checking that out. I live in produce hell. The
new Sprouts has some good produce, but the usual suspects only. Dried
shrooms are sometimes to be had, but they really lose something in the
process.

Santa Monica is pretty close, by SoCal standards - about 40 minutes from me
if the traffic is light.

What I would absolutely be willing to risk life and limb for would be a
couple of pounds of morels. Oh man, I'd die happy.

Paul

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:15:59 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'd sure be interested in checking that out. I live in produce hell. The
new Sprouts has some good produce, but the usual suspects only. Dried
shrooms are sometimes to be had, but they really lose something in the
process.

Santa Monica is pretty close, by SoCal standards - about 40 minutes from me
if the traffic is light.

What I would absolutely be willing to risk life and limb for would be a
couple of pounds of morels. Oh man, I'd die happy.

Well, go to the Wednesday market, if you can get there. If not, the
Saturday market is pretty good as well, but the Wednesday market beats
all.

I think the mushroom man is still there. 😉

Christine

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:15:59 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'd sure be interested in checking that out. I live in produce hell. The
new Sprouts has some good produce, but the usual suspects only. Dried
shrooms are sometimes to be had, but they really lose something in the
process.

Santa Monica is pretty close, by SoCal standards - about 40 minutes from
me
if the traffic is light.

What I would absolutely be willing to risk life and limb for would be a
couple of pounds of morels. Oh man, I'd die happy.

Well, go to the Wednesday market, if you can get there. If not, the
Saturday market is pretty good as well, but the Wednesday market beats
all.

I think the mushroom man is still there. 😉

Wow, cool - good tip then, thank you. I know a couple in the Fairfax
district, they'd surely love to meet up on a Saturday.

So I tell him Christine sent me?

Paul

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:40:01 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Wow, cool - good tip then, thank you. I know a couple in the Fairfax
district, they'd surely love to meet up on a Saturday.

So I tell him Christine sent me?

Paul

Nope. I never talked to him when I visited the market... I know he
has posted on eGullet though and I remember seeing him at the market.
Never stopped to buy anything.

If you go, and if he is there, I hope you can find what you want. I
have to qualify though, that he might not have what you want.

Someday you have to go to the Wednesday market ....

Christine

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:40:01 GMT, "Paul M. Cook" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Wow, cool - good tip then, thank you. I know a couple in the Fairfax
district, they'd surely love to meet up on a Saturday.

So I tell him Christine sent me?

Paul

Nope. I never talked to him when I visited the market... I know he
has posted on eGullet though and I remember seeing him at the market.
Never stopped to buy anything.

If you go, and if he is there, I hope you can find what you want. I
have to qualify though, that he might not have what you want.

Someday you have to go to the Wednesday market ....

I could, sure but it means waking up at a normal hour. I'm a night owl and
I'm busy at work while most people are sound asleep. However, I would do
most anything for the sweet, fruit-like and musty forest flavor of a fine
chanterelle, again. I can't think of any food I love more than fresh wild
mushrooms. It brings back so many memories. I remember entire days spent
searching the woods for morels and chanterelles - this, while other kids
were obsessed with baseball. Who needed a mushroom rooting pig when you
had a gourmet kid? They were just so rare and I'd scour the birch groves
all day and to come home with a basket of them was like finding Blackbeard's
treasure. We'd eat the morels sautéed in butter and garlic and the
chanterelles in a gratin of Vermont cheddar cheese on toast. Mighty fine
eating.

Paul

Victor Sack said:

Chanterelles are plentiful here right now, so I bought a couple of
pounds of Lithuanian chanterelles, mostly small, round-capped specimens.

Heavenly! I envy you access to fresh chanterelles.

gloria p

One time on Usenet said:

Chanterelles are plentiful here right now, so I bought a couple of
pounds of Lithuanian chanterelles, mostly small, round-capped specimens.

<snip, saved>

Both the tagliarelle and the soup sound wonderful! I used to
hunt chanterelles with my family in the woods of western WA. I
hated it, because at the time I didn't like mushrooms of any kind.
Now I love them and wonder mightily what I missed when Mom would
saute fresh chanterelles in butter. I wanted to pick some myself,
but the area we used to haunt has been deforested...

--
Jani in WA

Christine Dabney said:

If you are in northern California, and live a reasonable distance from
the SF bay area, I can tell you of two good places to get
chanterelles, and at a decent price.

I'm surprised they don't grow everywhere in the Bay Area,
like snails.

The climate there is perfect for things like snails,
mushrooms, sprouts, gorse, peat...

Quoted message said:

If you live in southern California, I know there is a man at the Santa
Monica Farmers market that sells wild mushrooms.

You sure you want to admit that out where the DEA can hear?

--Blair

Little Malice said:

Both the tagliarelle and the soup sound wonderful!

Yeah, yeah, and no one seemed to have noticed that I had somehow managed
to omit cream from the chanterelle cream sauce. :-( Sorry about that.
Here is the actual recipe.

Tagliarelle ai gallinacci alla moda mia
Tagliarelle with chanterelle cream sauce

Tagliarelle
250 g (a bit over half pound) chanterelles
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves fresh, still soft garlic, finely chopped
clarified butter for frying
salt and freshly-ground pepper
2 heaping tablespoons crème fraîche
whipping cream to taste
some chives, chopped

Clean the chaterelles with no water, of possible. (Mine were very
clean, so it was easy). Chop the large one, leaving small ones whole.
In a pan, fry onions in clarified butter until soft, add the
chanterelles and cook over medium-high heat until the water they exude
evaporates (my chanterelles contained very little water). Continue
cooking over medium-low heat, adding the garlic half way through. When
the chaterelles are almost ready, add crème fraîche, letting it melt and
mixing everything well together. Taste and add some whipping cream if
necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Towards the end of
cooking, boil the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain and add to the
sauce together with a couple tablespoons of pasta water. Toss well,
sprinkle with chives and serve at once.

Victor