Chanterelle Toast

Chanterelles sautéed with shallot, butter and white wine, finished with soft herbs, on good toast. It is a simple dish that lets Michigan’s July chanterelles taste of themselves: fruity, a little peppery, and bright orange.

⚠ Chanterelles have a dangerous look-alike, the jack-o’-lantern, which is orange, grows in clusters on wood, and causes severe vomiting.

Untested: I have not cooked this one yet. It is here because the Mushrooms dive needed it, and it is adapted from the source named in the Notes.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 oz chanterelles, cleaned and torn or sliced
• 2 oz shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Tarragon, parsley and chives, chopped

Salt and pepper

• 1 thick slice good bread, toasted

Directions

1. Dry-sauté first. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chanterelles. Cook until the water they release has boiled away and they begin to colour. Chanterelles hold a lot of water, and they will not brown until it has gone.
2. Shallot and butter. Add the shallot and butter, and cook until the shallot is soft.
3. Wine. Add the wine and let it reduce to a glaze.
4. Herbs. Off the heat, toss in the herbs and season. Pile onto the hot toast.

Notes

Where this recipe came from Adapted from Alan Bergo’s “Chanterelle Toast” at Forager Chef (foragerchef.com). The quantities are his, for one generous toast. He garnishes it with wood sorrel and flowers. Note that his version has no cream, despite the popular idea that chanterelles on toast are always creamed.

Scandinavia Chanterelle toast is a Nordic café standard, but it is a recent one. Pre-industrial Swedish peasants ate no wild mushrooms at all (Svanberg & Lindh, 2019). See the Mushrooms dive’s history page.