James Beard-nominated chef and Exmark ambassador David Bancroft is all about trying adventurous foods (have you seen his Jalapeño Popper Grilled Oyster recipe?). This time around, he’s trying out a wild mushroom recipe with mushrooms he foraged himself! Learn about the chanterelle mushroom, how to stay safe while foraging, and how to create his delicious compound butter, served up on filet mignon.
Wild Mushroom Foraging Safety
First and foremost, you want to proceed with caution while foraging for mushrooms! Never bring home a mushroom you’re not sure about—there are a lot of poisonous species out there that could make you sick, or could even be fatal.
If you’re new to mushroom foraging, be sure that you’re going out with a guide and a helpful identification app. Check and double-check before picking. And be sure that you thoroughly clean any mushrooms you bring home—you never know what bacteria might be living on them.
What Is a Chanterelle Mushroom?
Chanterelles are woodland mushrooms that grow exclusively in forests, typically in clusters directly underneath trees. There are several colors, but the most common (and best tasting) variety has a golden hue.
They’re one of the most expensive mushrooms around because they only grow for a few months in the summer and cannot be grown commercially. Finding them is a real treat, so when you get that lucky, you want to be sure you cook them into a meal designed for a special occasion.
How to Forage a Wild Chanterelle
The most important thing to keep in mind while foraging is that you pay attention to the gills (the soft, streaky flesh underneath the head) of the mushroom. Many mushrooms have soft gills that are completely separate and easy to detach. Chanterelles, however, have gills that are more like veins that run the length of the mushroom. Beyond that, chanterelle stems aren’t hollow, so when you pick them, it will be a firm stalk. Another way to identify a foraged mushroom as a chanterelle is by the scent—when you pick one, it should have a slight, apricot-like aroma.
How to Cook Chanterelles
There are a multitude of ways to cook chantarelles, but Bancroft is going to show you his favorite way—blended up into a compound butter, and spread over a tender, moist, filet mignon. Follow along for his favorite wild mushroom recipe.
Ingredients
- Foraged chanterelle compound butter
1 quarter sliced white onion
6 chopped garlic cloves
1 lb chopped cleaned mushrooms
1 sprig Thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lb salted butter (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- Cast iron seared filet mignon
4 center cut 8oz steaks
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Directions
- Foraged chanterelle compound butter
- Melt 1/4 lb butter in small pot
- Add onions and cook on medium low heat until soft
- Add mushrooms and simmer until soft
- Add garlic, wine, thyme, and turmeric
- Simmer on low heat until wine is reduced by half
- Add heavy cream and simmer on low until reduced by 1/3rd
- Remove pot from stove and allow to cool five minutes
- Purée in food processor until smooth
- Add all ingredients and combine with room temp butter, make sure mushroom mixture is cool enough where it won’t melt the butter
- Add mushroom butter to small bowl and refrigerate until easily handled but not solid
- Roll out a 18 inches of plastic wrap flat onto counter
- Place butter into a log shape down the middle of the plastic about 2-3 inch diameter
- Wrap plastic over the butter into a log shape and twist the ends to form and tighten — this may take a few try’s to get right
- Refrigerate the compound butter until firm
- Cast iron seared filet mignon
- Drizzle oil on steaks, season with salt, pepper, and rosemary to marinate
- Place in fridge for an hour
- Remove steaks and place on counter to acclimate to room temperature for 20 minutes prior to cooking.
- Heat large cast iron on medium-high heat.
- Pour oil into skillet and place steaks in cast iron with plenty of space between them
- Sear each for 3-4 minutes until crispy
- Ready to serve rare, to cook up a level of doneness, place into a 200° F oven to cook until desired level is reached.
- A few degrees before the steaks reach your desired doneness, remove them from the heat
- Turn oven on to broil
- Slice off 1/4-1/2” medallions of compound
- Place on top of each steak, and place steaks under broiler until butter begins to melt
- Remove steaks before the butter fully melts and serve immediately
Notes
- You can freeze the logs of butter for up to 6 months.
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