Not every lover of quiet hunting has come across porcini mushrooms, which appear in the forests in spring, as soon as the last heaps of snow have melted. They are characterized by an amazing appearance that can be daunting if left unfamiliar. Cooking porcini mushrooms is also not so easy. First of all, they contain toxic substances in their fruiting bodies, which must be properly removed. But in terms of taste, many find them more delicious than white mushrooms, and they are often put on a par with delicate truffles.
How to clean chanterelles from the sand
It is difficult to confuse chanterelles with other mushrooms, as they have no competitors at this time of the year, except for their closest relatives – crocuses. With their original appearance with a wrinkled olive-brown hat covered with a net-like pattern, they attract and repel inexperienced mushroom pickers at the same time. But if you know how to properly and tasty cook chanterelles, you can still get a useful meal. Our ancestors used this fungus to combat vision problems, especially to clean the lenses of the eyes.
Despite their useful and delicate properties, chanterelles are classified as conditionally edible. You should never eat them raw. Any culinary processing of these mushrooms involves soaking and boiling.
Important! Drain the water after the first boil, as all the toxic substances will pass into it.
Porcini also differ in that they like to be inhabited by tiny insects. In addition, they often grow on sandy soil and, due to their special structure, are often clogged with dust and sand. At the same time, the mushrooms are characterized by increased fragility, any clumsy movement can cause them to break or crumble into hundreds of small pieces.
Therefore, it is not advisable to immediately clear the mushrooms of sand and garbage – there may be too much waste.
Experienced mushroom pickers recommend first soaking them in cold water with salt and leaving them for a while. The mushrooms should be placed in the container with the stalks up – this makes it easier for the insects to exit. During this time, most beetles will successfully swim out and exit the fruiting bodies. Then the water with the chanterelles is brought to a boil over medium heat and boiled for about 10-15 minutes. Be sure to drain the water and rinse the mushrooms thoroughly under cold water to rid them of sand and other forest soil.
Attention! Cooked chanterelles become much more elastic and firm and don’t crumble as easily.
And the already cooked mushrooms can be calmly sorted, cleaning them from the remaining insects and other dirt. The stalks are rarely used for eating, as they lack the delicate flavor properties of the hats. They are usually cut off and thrown away.
Before the mushrooms are placed in water for the second cooking, they are rinsed again thoroughly under cold running water.
How to cook ceps so they don’t get bitter
In contrast to many agaric mushrooms with openly bitter milk, porcini mushrooms do not have such properties. They simply contain toxic substances that pass from the fruit body into the water when cooked. For this reason, some even practice double cooking.
Pour out the water mercilessly after each procedure. Total cooking time can be 60-80 minutes. Although some find it sufficient to cook porcini mushrooms for 10-15 minutes the first time they boil and let them cook for 20-30 minutes the second time.
After the second boil, the mushrooms are rinsed again in cold water and can then be used for culinary preparation such as roasting, baking, stewing or pickling. There should be no more questions about how to cook chanterelles – you can just choose one of the recipes described below and move forward with determination. Any dish with chanterelles will be worthy of a royal table for its taste quality.
How to cook chanterelles properly
If you follow all the preparation tips above, you can cook chanterelles like many other mushrooms. One should only consider their delicate structure and not get too carried away with spices and herbs. Finally, one should not drown out the special mushroom aroma of the chanterelles.
How to cook fresh mushrooms from the forest
A detailed description of how to cook fresh mushrooms from the forest has already been given.
It is advisable not to save time and effort and cook only once. It is better to hedge and cook the mushrooms in two stages, each time pouring off the broth in which they were cooked.
In both the first and second cases, it is advisable to use salted water (on 1 liter of water – an incomplete tablespoon of salt). In the first case, this additionally helps to get rid of living inhabitants of the mushroom bodies (spiders, caterpillars, beetles), and in the second – improves their taste qualities.
The soaking process (for at least an hour) is also important. This is necessary to allow a larger number of animals to leave the mushrooms even before cooking. It’s also important to douse the porcini with cold water first, rather than boiling water, so they can release a greater amount of possible toxins into the water.
How to cook dried porcini mushrooms
It may come as a surprise, but ceps, which are considered edible mushrooms, can be dried. However, they can only be eaten 3 months after the drying process, since the toxins contained in the mushrooms completely disappear during this period.
Before preparing dishes from dried porcini mushrooms at home, the mushrooms are first soaked and left in warm water for 40-60 minutes.
The water is poured off, they are poured over with fresh salted water and boiled for at least 10 minutes, the water boiling all the time. The resulting broth is drained again, and the mushrooms can be used to prepare any delicacy.
How to prepare frozen porcini mushrooms
Porcini mushrooms are always boiled before freezing and the water is drained. Therefore, after defrosting, when they have reached room temperature and have the consistency of freshly boiled mushrooms, they can be used to prepare a dish according to any recipe.
They can also be easily defrosted on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. If you put the mushrooms there in the evening, you can already start preparing the desired dish in the morning.
Delicious porcini mushroom recipes
Porcini mushroom dishes can be very diverse and the recipes range from simple dishes to snacks for festive occasions.
How to prepare porcini mushrooms Korean
This recipe can appeal not only to lovers of Asian cuisine, but also to everyone who likes pickled mushroom snacks.
- 700 g properly cooked porcini mushrooms;
- 2 onions;
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar;
- approx. 50 ml vegetable oil;
- 2 tbsp soy sauce;
- ½ teaspoon each ground red and black pepper;
- 2 tsp sugar;
- 1 bay leaf;
- salt to taste;
- a few cloves of garlic – to taste and desire.
- The onion is finely chopped and fried in a hot pan.
- The prepared and cooked chanterelles are cut into medium-sized slices and added to the onions.
- The total roasting time is about 10 minutes.
- Vinegar, soy sauce, spices and salt are added and mixed well.
- Everything is taken off the stove and poured into a ceramic or glass vessel.
Note! At this point, pieces of garlic can be added.
How to prepare chanterelles
The dish prepared according to this recipe will help diversify the daily menu and bring a special touch to the festive table.
- 300 g fresh chanterelles;5 chicken eggs;100 g sour cream;vegetable oil for frying;1 bunch of fresh greens (parsley or dill);salt to taste. Traditionally, fresh mushrooms are boiled twice in boiling water, always draining the water. They are rinsed in cold water and then strained to drain excess liquid. They are halved or quartered and then fried in a hot pan with oil until attractively browned. Crack the eggs in a heatproof container, add sour cream, salt, and spices to taste, and whisk well. The fried porcini mushrooms are added to the egg mixture and everything is cooked over medium heat. With constant stirring, the dish is cooked until it is thick. Finely chopped greens are sprinkled on top. Serve hot.
- 300 g fresh chanterelles;5 chicken eggs;100 g sour cream;vegetable oil for frying;1 bunch of fresh greens (parsley or dill);salt to taste. Traditionally, fresh mushrooms are boiled twice in boiling water, always draining the water. They are rinsed in cold water and then strained to drain excess liquid. They are halved or quartered and then fried in a hot pan with oil until attractively browned. Crack the eggs in a heatproof container, add sour cream, salt, and spices to taste, and whisk well. The fried porcini mushrooms are added to the egg mixture and everything is cooked over medium heat. With constant stirring, the dish is cooked until it is thick. Finely chopped greens are sprinkled on top. Serve hot.
- 300 g fresh chanterelles;
- 5 chicken eggs;
- 100 g sour cream;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- 1 bunch of fresh greens (parsley or dill);
- salt to taste.
- Fresh mushrooms are traditionally boiled twice in boiling water, always draining the water.
- They are rinsed in cold water and then strained to drain excess liquid.
- They are halved or quartered and then fried in a hot pan with oil until attractively browned.
- The eggs are cracked open in a heatproof container, add sour cream, salt and spices to taste and whisk well.
- The fried porcini mushrooms are added to the egg mixture and everything is cooked over medium heat.
- Stirring constantly, the dish is cooked until thick. Finely chopped greens are sprinkled on top.
- Serve hot.
How to deliciously prepare porcini mushrooms with sour cream
It is very tasty to simply sauté porcini mushrooms with onions and sour cream.
- 500 g of boiled porcini;2 onions;120 g of sour cream;50 ml of vegetable oil;salt and black pepper to taste.
- 500 g of boiled porcini;2 onions;120 g of sour cream;50 ml of vegetable oil;salt and black pepper to taste.
- 500 g of boiled porcini mushrooms;
- 2 onions;
- 120 g sour cream;
- 50 ml vegetable oil;
- salt and black pepper to taste.
The preparation is not difficult:
- Fry the onion cut into rings in a pan until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 6-8 minutes. Season with sour cream, spices and simmer for another 15 minutes over low heat.
- Fry the onion cut into rings in a pan until golden brown. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 6-8 minutes. Season with sour cream, spices and simmer for another 15 minutes over low heat.
- Fry the onion cut into rings in a pan until golden brown.
- Add the mushrooms and fry for another 6-8 minutes.
- Season with sour cream and spices and let simmer for another 15 minutes over low heat.
How to properly prepare porcini mushroom soup
You probably won’t be able to cook a soup directly from porcini mushrooms, because these mushrooms don’t give any broth. But as a key flavor and aroma ingredient, for example in a cream of asparagus soup, they’re great.
To prepare asparagus soup with fresh porcini mushrooms you will need:
- 600 g asparagus;200 g prepared and pre-cooked porcini mushrooms;2 large potatoes;1 carrot;2 leeks;3.5 l water;4-5 tbsp olive oil;¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper;2 tablespoons cream;¼ teaspoon salt. Cut the leek and carrot into thin rings. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. The asparagus spears are cut into several pieces and the tender tips are set aside. Most vegetables are covered with water and cooked for about 20-30 minutes after the water boils. The mushrooms are cut into pieces and sautéed in boiling olive oil with part of the leek rings, carrots and the tender asparagus tips until crispy.¾ of the mushrooms are added to the cooked vegetables in the pot, spices and salt are added and brought to a boil . The soup is pureed with a hand blender, cream is added and everything is mixed well. The remaining part of the fried mushrooms with greens is added, and the finished soup is poured into plates.
- 600 g asparagus;200 g prepared and pre-cooked porcini mushrooms;2 large potatoes;1 carrot;2 leeks;3.5 l water;4-5 tbsp olive oil;¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper;2 tbsp cream;¼ tsp salt. Cut the leek and carrot into thin rings. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes.
- 600 g of asparagus;
- 200 g of prepared and pre-cooked porcini mushrooms;
- 2 large potatoes;
- 1 carrot;
- 2 leeks;
- 3.5 l of water;
- 4-5 tbsp olive oil;
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper;
- 2 tablespoons cream;
- ¼ tsp salt.
- Cut the leek and the carrot into thin rings.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes.
- The asparagus spears are cut into several pieces and the tender tips are set aside.
- Most vegetables are covered with water and boiled for about 20-30 minutes after the water boils.
- The mushrooms are cut into pieces and sautéed in boiling olive oil with some of the leek rings, carrots and the tender asparagus tips until they are crispy.
- ¾ of the mushrooms are added to the boiled vegetables in the pot, spices and salt are added and brought to a boil.
- The soup is pureed with a hand blender, cream is added and everything is mixed well.
- The remaining part of the fried mushrooms with vegetables is added and the finished soup is poured into plates.
How to prepare baked chanterelles with potatoes
An ordinary casserole of chanterelles and potatoes is distinguished by an unforgettable taste of mushrooms.
- 1000 g cooked chanterelles;800 g potatoes;150 g hard cheese;3 tablespoons each of mayonnaise and sour cream;a pinch each of white and black ground pepper;a little vegetable oil to grease the baking sheet;salt to taste. Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices, cut the mushrooms into small pieces. Grease the baking sheet with oil and alternately put potatoes and pieces of mushrooms on it. Finely grate the cheese, mix with mayonnaise and sour cream, add salt and spices. The mixture is applied on top of the mushrooms with potatoes. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for about 40 minutes.
- 1000 g cooked chanterelles;800 g potatoes;150 g hard cheese;3 tablespoons each of mayonnaise and sour cream;a pinch each of white and black ground pepper;a little vegetable oil for greasing the baking sheet;salt to taste. Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices, cut the mushrooms into small pieces. Grease the baking sheet with oil and alternately put potatoes and pieces of mushrooms on it. Finely grate the cheese, mix with mayonnaise and sour cream, add salt and spices. The mixture is applied on top of the mushrooms with potatoes. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for about 40 minutes.
- 1000 g of boiled chanterelles;
- 800 g potatoes;
- 150 g hard cheese;
- 3 tablespoons each of mayonnaise and sour cream;
- a pinch each of white and black ground pepper;
- some vegetable oil to grease the baking sheet;
- salt to taste.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices, cut the mushrooms into small pieces.
- Grease the baking tray with oil and alternately place potatoes and mushroom pieces on it.
- Finely grate the cheese, mix with mayonnaise and sour cream, add salt and spices.
- The mixture is applied on top of the mushrooms with potatoes.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 180ºC for about 40 minutes.
Such a dish goes well with a salad of fresh vegetables.
How to properly cook ceps in batter
This amazing snack tastes great both hot and cold. You can serve it with a mustard sauce or just eat it sprinkled with chopped greens.
- approx. 400 g boiled porcini mushroom caps;100 ml milk;1 egg;approx. 100 g flour;a pinch of spices: turmeric, ground pepper, grated ginger, salt;sunflower oil for frying. In a deep bowl, mix milk, eggs and flour. The consistency of the mixture should resemble thick sour cream. Add spices and stir thoroughly. In a deep pan, heat the oil until boiling. Dip each toadstool hat in the prepared batter, then sear them in oil on all sides. Place on a paper towel to drain excess fat.
- approx. 400 g boiled porcini mushroom caps; 100 ml milk; 1 egg; approx. 100 g flour;a pinch of spices: turmeric, ground pepper, grated ginger, salt;sunflower oil for frying. In a deep bowl, mix milk, eggs and flour. The consistency of the mixture should resemble thick sour cream. Add spices and stir thoroughly. In a deep pan, heat the oil until boiling. Dip each toadstool hat in the prepared batter, then sear them in oil on all sides. Place on a paper towel to drain excess fat.
- approx. 400 g cooked porcini mushroom caps;
- 100 ml milk;
- 1 egg;
- approx. 100 g flour;
- a pinch of spices: turmeric, ground pepper, grated ginger, salt;
- Sunflower oil for frying.
- In a deep bowl, mix milk, eggs and flour. The consistency of the mixture should resemble thick sour cream.
- Add spices and stir thoroughly.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan until it boils.
- Dip each toadstool hat in the prepared batter, then sear them in oil on all sides.
- Place on a paper towel to drain excess fat.
Monastery Recipe for Porcini Mushrooms
To cook ceps according to the original ancient recipe, you need to collect mushrooms of different sizes: large and small.
- 500 g pre-cooked porcini mushrooms;2 eggs;1 tablespoon flour;2 tablespoons butter;2 tablespoons chopped parsley;salt and spices – to taste. Put the largest mushrooms aside immediately. Chop the smaller mushrooms and fry them with butter, flour and spices. Hard boil eggs, cut into small cubes. Mix with the fried porcini mushrooms, add the parsley. Fill the largest porcini mushrooms with the filling and fry in butter until golden brown.500 g porcini;3 cups flour;250 g butter;2 chicken eggs;0.5 tsp baking powder;1 tsp apple cider vinegar;150 g sour cream;1 bunch dill;sunflower oil for frying;salt to taste.
- 500 g pre-cooked porcini mushrooms;2 eggs;1 tablespoon flour;2 tablespoons butter;2 tablespoons chopped parsley;salt and spices – to taste. Put the largest mushrooms aside immediately. Chop the smaller mushrooms and fry them with butter, flour and spices. Hard boil eggs, cut into small cubes. Mix with the fried porcini mushrooms, add the parsley. Fill the largest porcini mushrooms with the filling and fry in butter until golden brown.500 g porcini;3 cups flour;250 g butter;2 chicken eggs;0.5 tsp baking powder;1 tsp apple cider vinegar;150 g sour cream;1 bunch dill;sunflower oil for frying;salt to taste.
- 500 g pre-cooked porcini mushrooms;
- 2 eggs;
- 1 tbsp flour;
- 2 tablespoons butter;
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley;
- Salt and spices – to taste.
- Set the largest mushrooms aside immediately.
- Chop the smaller mushrooms and fry them with butter, flour and spices.
- Hard-boil eggs, cut into small cubes.
- Mix with the fried porcini mushrooms and add the parsley.
- The largest porcini mushrooms are stuffed with the filling and fried in butter until golden brown.
- 500 g porcini mushrooms;
- 3 cups flour;
- 250 g butter;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 0.5 tsp baking powder;
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar;
- 150 g sour cream;
- 1 bunch of dill;
- sunflower oil for frying;
- salt to taste.
Recipe for a chanterelle cake
You should already know how to cook chanterelles with different ingredients, but this recipe with photo describes the step-by-step process of making a delicious cake with these unique mushrooms.
Soak the mushrooms and cook them traditionally in two waters.
- Then cut into small pieces and fry in oil for 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Pour sour cream over and set aside to marinate.
- To prepare the dough, mix flour with softened butter and eggs. After mixing, add salt and baking soda slaked in vinegar.
- Divide the dough into two parts. Roll out one part with a rolling pin and place on a baking sheet prepared with butter.
- Spread the filling of porcini mushrooms with sour cream on top, spread evenly and sprinkle with finely chopped dill.
- To make the cake, the second part of the dough is rolled out and used to cover the filling from above. The edges are gently pressed together so as not to leave any open spaces where the filling could spill out during baking.
- Then several cuts are made on the surface and the surface of the dough is brushed with beaten egg.
- The cake is baked in an oven preheated to +190°C. The baking time depends on the thickness of the dough and can vary between 20 and 40 minutes.
- The cake is equally delicious both warm and chilled.
Recipe for stewed chanterelles in cream
This delicate and easy-to-prepare dish is able to delight even the most demanding gourmets.
- 400 g boiled chanterelles;350 ml cream;150 g cheese;4 onions;1 tsp dried dill;salt to taste. Cut the prepared mushrooms into small cubes. Peel the onions, chop finely and fry until translucent. Mix them with the mushrooms and fry everything together for another 10 minutes. Finely grate the cheese, add cream, salt and dried dill. Mix well. Pour the prepared mixture over the fried mushrooms, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 400 g boiled chanterelles;350 ml cream;150 g cheese;4 onions;1 tsp dried dill;salt to taste. Cut the prepared mushrooms into small cubes. Peel the onions, chop finely and fry until translucent. Mix them with the mushrooms and fry everything together for another 10 minutes. Finely grate the cheese, add cream, salt and dried dill. Mix well. Pour the prepared mixture over the fried mushrooms, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 400 g of cooked chanterelles;
- 350 ml cream;
- 150 g of cheese;
- 4 onions;
- 1 tsp dried dill;
- Salt to taste.
- Cut the prepared mushrooms into small cubes.
- Peel the onions, chop finely and fry until translucent.
- Mix them with the mushrooms and fry everything together for another 10 minutes.
- Finely grate the cheese, add cream, salt and dried dill. Mix well.
- Pour the prepared mixture over the sautéed mushrooms, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
The prepared dish has a special taste, especially when served warm.
Can you freeze chestnuts?
You can not only freeze chestnuts, you should actually do it. Especially if you want to keep a large harvest of collected mushrooms for the whole year.
How do you freeze chestnuts for the winter?
Before freezing, you should carry out all the preparatory work mentioned above with soaking, cleaning and double cooking with freshly collected chestnuts.
Finally, the mushrooms are washed again to drain excess liquid. They are then packed in small portions in bags, labeled, sealed and placed in the freezer.
Since chestnuts cannot be frozen twice, it is best to prepare bags of a size so that the contents of each bag can be consumed once.
Graduation
The preparation of chanterelles is not as difficult as it seems at first glance to beginners in the world of mushrooms. However, if you observe all the subtleties of their preparation, you can get a delicacy that will delight all acquaintances and friends.