Chanterelles: A Delicious Topping and a Great Pasta Ingredient

August marks the prime season for chanterelle mushrooms, though this year's harvest arrived sooner than usual. These versatile fungi require minimal preparation, ready to be incorporated into a variety of dishes like sautés, soups, pies, and sauces. They also lend themselves well to preservation methods such as drying, pickling, and grilling.

Chanterelles shine in an August delicacy: chanterelle carbonara. This rich and hearty pasta dish can be prepared in about 20 minutes. For a delightful appetizer or a sophisticated addition to a celebratory spread, consider chanterelle-salmon tartare. While fresh salmon is recommended, cured salmon can be substituted, adjusting the salt accordingly.

For those looking to preserve the bounty, drying chanterelles involves cleaning, chopping, and dehydrating them at around 40 degrees Celsius for 3-6 hours until brittle. Pickling requires simmering small chanterelles in a brine of water, sugar, apple cider vinegar, coriander seeds, allspice, bay leaves, and star anise for a few minutes before jarring. Grilling involves cleaning and halving the mushrooms, tossing them with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, then grilling for about 5 minutes, finished with lemon and parsley.