After a very hot summer followed by lots of rain, chanterelle mushrooms  should be easy enough to find in the forest. Failing that, you can always find them at the market, or even in your local store. And there's so much to do with them! The easiest – and according to many, the best – is to just enjoy them fried in butter on a sandwich. Another idea, that my dad who grew up in Estonia taught me, is to fry them, cut them into small pieces and mix with finely diced yellow onion and crème fraîche or smetana, and salt. Very yummy on crisp bread!

 

For something more like proper food, try a risotto. This recipe goes well with chicken or beef - or is excellent by itself! You can use golden chanterelles, but also a bit later in the season, the delicious little funnel chanterelles. Dried funnel chanterelles or porcini, if you happen to have them, add a bit of extra flavour.

 

Serves two, generously

 

 

olive oil

butter

150 g arborio rice

125 ml white wine

1 litre of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1 yellow onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

200 g golden chanterelles

1/2 cup dried chanterelles (or porcini, perhaps)

a handful of parmesan

 

 

Revive the dried chanterelles in hot water. Let them sit while you make the rest of the risotto. Fry the golden chanterelles in a pat of butter until some of the moisture has evaporated. Set aside. Start the actual risotto by melting the butter and the oil, and frying the onion and garlic in this. Bring the stock to a boil. Add the rice to the onion, and let fry for a couple of minutes, until lightly browned. Add the wine, and stir as it evaporates.

 

Then proceed as usual, adding the stock one ladle at a time. Stir more or less constantly, and let the stock slowly melt into the rice. As soon as it looks dry, add more stock. Keep tasting - it'll take about 20 minutes. You might not use all the stock, and you might need more (just use hot water). It's impossible to tell in a recipe, really.

 

When it's pretty much done, drain the revived dried chanterelles (toss away the water - it'll be bitter) and add them to the risotto. Add the golden chanterelles too. Finally, stir in the parmesan, and if needed add salt, pepper, honey or lemon juice if you want it more salty, peppery, sweet or sour. All up to you!

Anne  Skoogh