Chanterelles (genus Cantharellus) are very pretty mushrooms.  They are also (or at least these ones were) very dirty.  I had to really work to clean them without destroying them.  Though some people advise against washing mushrooms, most mushrooms do not readily absorb liquid.  You doubt me?  Go watch Alton Brown testing the myth at about two minutes into this video from Good Eats episode “The Fungal Gourmet” on YouTube.

I love mushrooms.  You may have noticed that from my previous post at Smile Politely on “Morel Mushroom Madness“.  Even plain, white, bland, boring, button mushrooms can be elevated to greatness with some (okay a lot of) butter, salt, and pepper.  But there are plenty of mushrooms that just aren’t as ubiquitous as the white button mushroom.  Most of these are rare because they don’t keep long enough to sell in grocery stores, but some just don’t give in to commercial cultivation.  Morels and chanterelles are two prime examples of mushrooms that won’t grow well in captivity.

I recently got a review copy of the book “Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States” by Joe McFarland and Gregory M. Mueller, and I’ve been browsing through it from time to time.  The book’s glossy pages are stuffed with hundreds of great fungi photos.  Many of these illustrate important identifying characteristics, but some, like the cover photo of a yellow chanterelle, are just beautifully photographed vignettes showcasing where they occur naturally.  The book has tons of information about all sorts of mushroom species.  Not only will it tell you the standard where they’re found and how to make sure they aren’t a toxic look-alike, but there are 45 pages of recipes from Illinois chefs.

The entry for chanterelles shows the humor and tone of the book–as though the authors are your friends telling you their stories from years of experience (of which they both have an abundance).

“Chanterelles have a reputation bordering on the impossible.  They can’t possibly be as good as their reputation implies.  Yet great chefs everywhere worship chanterelles–a truly wild mushroom that cannot yet be cultivated.” (p. 99)

I can tell you from my experience that chanterelles are very good.  They have, as the book describes, a “pleasantly delicate, buttery flavor.”  I had on hand another useful book, the Flavor Bible, which told me that chanterelles have a good synergy with garlic, green onions, and cream.  I went with a light cream sauce, a bechamel actually.

Bechamel is one of the fastest, easiest, and most useful mother sauce from French cuisine.  You’ve probably made it before and didn’t even know it.  To boil it down to it’s roots, it’s a light roux (equal parts butter and flour, cooked a couple minutes) with dairy added, usually milk.  Want it thicker?  Make more roux.  Want it thinner?  Add more milk.  Bechamel goes great layered into lasagna.  When I make fettucini alfredo, I usually make a bechamel, then add some cheese to it (which transforms it into a Mornay sauce).  By making a creamy sauce with flour and milk, you’re getting the same unctuous mouthfeel that you would get by using heavy cream, but with far fewer calories.  It’s easy and fits into recipes like this very easily.  You’ll see how in a minute.

Campanelle with Creamy Chanterelles

serves 2 to 3

The chanterelles I had were pretty small, so I just had to cut a few of the larger ones in half.  If yours are large, you may need to cut them into thirds or quarters, but cut top to bottom to preserve the beautiful natural curve of the mushroom.

• 1/2 pound of campanelle pasta (or use whatever shape you like)
• 2T olive oil
• 2T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3 green onions, sliced on the bias into fine rings
• 5 oz (or more) cleaned mushrooms, cut into large bite-size pieces, chanterelle, oyster, or shiitake would be best
• 2T flour
• 1c milk
• crumbled goat cheese (optional)
• shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Cook your pasta according to the package directions.
2. Heat the oil and butter over medium heat.  Don’t let the butter brown.
3. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Add most of the green onions, reserving some of the green for garnish.
5. Saute for just a minute or two until the garlic and green onions soften slightly.
6. Add the mushrooms and sautee for just two to three minutes until they begin to soften.
7. Sprinkle the flour over the contents of the pan and stir in thoroughly.  Cook for a minute.
8. Pour in the milk while stirring.
9. Continue stirring as the mixture comes back to a boil to ensure a smooth sauce.
10. TASTE, and season with salt and pepper.
11. Add the cooked pasta to the pan with your sauce and toss to combine.
12. Remove from heat and plate in pasta bowls.
13. (optional) Add crumbles of goat cheese and/or a sprinkle of Parmesan.
14. Garnish with green onions.

Campanelle are a really adorable little flower-shaped pasta that holds onto just the right amount of sauce for this dish.  It also matched the size of the chanterelles nicely.  The sauce was creamy and flavorful, but not too strong that you couldn’t taste the mushrooms.