How I Cook Chanterelle Mushrooms

Only trained people know which mushrooms are safe to eat, so if you haven't been trained, buy your chanterelles from a market or licensed seller. Never taste, cook, or eat any wild mushroom that is not 100 percent identified by a qualified human. The Internet and books are not 100 percent trustworthy; "how it looks" is not a 100 percent ID. Cook all mushrooms before eating. Even the choicest mushrooms, when raw, contain hard-to-digest compounds and don't taste good; those compounds can evaporate with cooking. You already know that even everyday "button" mushrooms don't taste good raw. Here's how I cook chanterelles:

1. Obtain 1 pound of chanterelles. They should be firm and cheddar-yellow. Don't refrigerate them; they're not cold-weather fungi like store-bought button mushrooms.

2. Gently rinse with cold running water any soil, grass, or bugs from chanterelles; scissor off any tough, brown, or bug-eaten stems. You don't need to get every dark speck off every mushroom.
3. Allow the cleaned mushrooms to dry for a while on a towel.

 4. Tear the mushrooms into bite-size pieces. Discard any remaining tough stems.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the mushrooms. Stir to coat them with the oil and let them cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked through, and all the water cooks out.
Add salt and pepper if desired, to taste.

Chanterelles are good in omelets, quiches, soups, and on pizza, but they must be cooked before adding them to any recipe.
When cooked, they may be put in covered containers and refrigerated. Please note: Some people are allergic to all mushrooms. Rather than eat a bunch all at once, you and everyone who's joining you should take a small first bite.