Kurki na Maśle

Sautéed Chanterelles (in Butter)


“With a simple sauté in butter, garlic, and onions, the natural flavour of chanterelle mushrooms really shines through. Whether enjoyed as a starter, side, or delicious topping, they add a touch of mild umami richness to your meal.”

How to pronounce it?
coorkey na-mashleh
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Sautéed Chanterelles in Butter

As luck would have it, chanterelle mushrooms don’t require much effort to shine on the plate. Sautéing them with garlic, finely diced onion, and a generous amount of butter is the easiest way to draw out their umami-rich flavour.

For the full list of ingredients & detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. But before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know below.

Sautéed chanterelles make a wonderful starter, a side dish, or a lush topping for some of your favourite dishes. I have some serving suggestions for you below.

Do you need any special ingredients or equipment?

Ingredient-wise, if you can source fresh chanterelles easily – either by shopping or foraging – you’re golden. But fear not,  this recipe works well with any type of wild (or not-so-wild) mushroom. 

In terms of equipment, you’ll need:

  • large, heat-proof bowl
  • large skillet or frying pan (ideally cast iron or stainless steel, but any type will do)

How to make it?

Chanterelles can be a nightmare to clean. Of course, it would be best to brush the dirt away with a pastry brush, but who has the patience? Not me, that’s for sure.

If a simple rinse doesn’t work for you, try the “hot bowl” method:
Toss the mushrooms into a large bowl, add a tablespoon of salt. Pour boiling water over them, stir and set aside. After two minutes or so, the dirt will settle at the bottom of the bowl. Carefully remove chanterelles with a slotted spoon and pat them dry with a paper towel. Alternatively, dry them up in a salad spinner.

Cut larger mushrooms in half, leaving the smaller fellas whole.

To start, heat a touch of oil in a large frying pan (or a skillet) and sear the chanterelles over high heat. Three to four minutes is long enough for them to brown.

Some recipes call for cooking chanterelles solely in butter, from start to finish.
But in my experience, this leads to butter burning well before the chanterelles get the chance to turn golden. That’s why it’s better to sear the mushrooms in oil first, adding the butter at the very end.

Next, lower the heat and add diced onion with minced garlic. Don’t be tempted to reverse the process – if you fry them before the mushrooms get a chance to brown, onion and garlic will burn into a crisp. (Guess how I know…)

Add butter, allow it to melt, then season well with salt and pepper. Finish off with freshly chopped herbs. Serve immediately, or turn it into a creamy sauce with a few spoonfuls of sour cream.

How to serve it?

Sautéed chanterelles are great on their own, as a starter or a side dish, alongside a few slices of fresh bread. They can also act as an ingredient, here are some ideas:

  • pile them over roasted chicken, fish (e.g. salmon fillet), meatloaf or steak
  • use them as a topping for mashed potatoes, tarts, pies, flatbreads and pizzas
  • use them as a topping for pierogi or kluski (kopytka, śląskie, pyzy…)
  • add them to your pasta or egg noodles
  • add to sautéed green beans, broad (fava) beans or other veggies
  • serve them cold in salads
  • serve alongside soft scrambled eggs
  • pile onto thick toast smeared with a soft cheese (e.g. goat cheese)
Sautéed Chanterelles in Butter

Recipe: step by step

Yield: 2-3 (as a side)

Sautéed Chanterelles in Butter

Sautéed Chanterelles in Butter
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For sautéed chanterelles:

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil
  • 14 ounces (400 g) fresh chanterelles; cleaned, see notes
  • 1 medium onion (4 oz, 120 g), finely diced
  • 1-2 clove garlic, minced (≈ 1 teaspoon)
  • 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter, unsalted
  • 2 pinches salt; I use regular table salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tablespoons parsley or dill; chopped

For creamy sauce (optional):

  • 4-5 heaped tablespoons sour cream

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chanterelles and cook for around 3 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown. If they release water - that’s okay, just allow it to evaporate on its own.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add finely diced onion and minced garlic. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for additional 2 minutes. 
  3. Add butter, allow it to melt. Season with salt and pepper, add chopped herbs and stir everything together. Serve immediately or proceed to the last, optional step.

For creamy sauce (optional step)

  1. Add 4 to 5 heaped tablespoons of sour cream, and stir them in. Cook for a brief moment - just to warm it up - and serve immediately.

Notes

Cleaning chanterelles:

  1. Drop chanterelles into a bowl, add a tablespoon of table salt. Pour in boiling water, stir well and set aside for 2-3 minutes. Mushrooms will float to the top, while the dirt will collect at the bottom.
  2. Carefully retrieve clean chanterelles with a slotted spoon. Repeat the rinsing process on the more stubborn mushrooms (if necessary). Dry with paper towels or in a salad spinner. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 437mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g

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Recipe Information

Filed under:


Alternative traditional/regional names:
Kurki Smażone, Kurki z Patelni
Also known / Misspelt internationally as:
Pieprznik jadalny


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