Here’s another recipe from our New Hampshire vacation (and there are a few more still to come). Unlike the others, this recipe was borne of good fortune and my wife’s eagle eyes (well, with contacts). Near the top of Cannon Mountain in the Franconia Ridge (White Mountains), I was huffing and puffing and complaining about my poor little legs (it was our 6th high peak of the trip, so please don’t judge)…and while she was waiting for me to catch up, she was looking at the foliage. Then, I heard her yell out, “Jason…I think I found something you’re going to want to see.” Sure enough, she’d found a treasure trove of yellowfoot (Winter Chanterelles) growing in a large patch of moss! I always have a mushroom collectin’ bag in my pack, so we took that out, filled it up, and brought them home! Of course, we single, double, and triple checked all of the identifiable features and researched any toxic/poisonous doppelgangers to make sure we had what we thought we did…and we suggest you do the same with any wild mushrooms you’re working with (look for at least 3 different sources to verify…because as we all know, the internet sometimes has #fakenews in spots).
Anyway, we wanted to prepare these in a very easy way to experience the full earthiness of their taste. They were a little like Golden Chanterelles, but much more delicate in both texture. We served them with Duck Breast in Mustard Cream Sauce, Mashed Carnival Squash, and a side salad with lettuce and tomatoes from my wife’s grandparents’ garden!
Time: 15 Minutes (Plus the time to hike, identify, double check, gather, and triple check)
Ingredients:
- Winter Chanterelles
- Butter
Method:
- Rinse your chanterelles under cold running water to remove any dirt/leaves.
- Cut the bottom of the stems off.
- Heat some butter in a pan, and when it’s hot, add your mushrooms.
- Sautee for 3-5 minutes until your mushrooms soften and start to brown.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
