Types (and tastes) of different types of mushrooms

[Carolyn]

I just bought some chantrelle mushrooms and can't find any recipe that calls for this type. (I have never used them before.) Do they have some special claim to fame (are they noted for a particular taste)? Can I just sautee them as regular mushrooms or should they be handled in a special way. Any information about the different types of mushrooms would be appreciated.

[Grace]

Here are two recipes from CL that I found for you. I haven't tried either, but I'm inclined to think that the Risotto would be really, really good!

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Crab-and-Corn Chowder

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: November 1998 PAGE: 128

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 SERVINGS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 4 ears)
2 cups diced red potato
2 cups fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 thyme sprig
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (6-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
1/2 cup chopped chanterelle or other fresh wild mushrooms (about 2 ounces)
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
Chopped fresh chives (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
"We live on the Eastern shore, where we can walk out back to our dock and
pluck Maryland blue crab from our crab pots. We often serve this soup for
company; it freezes well, so we make a lot to have plenty of leftovers for
ourselves." --Melinda Davis, Oxford, Md.

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions; saute 2 minutes or
until tender. Add corn and next 7 ingredients (corn through thyme sprig);
bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender.

2. Combine cornstarch and evaporated milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.


3. Add cornstarch mixture to soup; simmer 5 minutes or until thick, stirring
occasionally. Add mushrooms and crab; remove thyme sprig. Ladle into soup
bowls; sprinkle with chives, if desired. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1
cup).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 220 (16% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.6g, mono 2g, poly 0.8g); PROTEIN
16.5g; CARB 31.1g; FIBER 2.8g; CHOL 41mg; IRON 1.1mg; SODIUM 452mg; CALC 233mg

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Risotto With Asparagus And Wild Mushrooms

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: May 1999 PAGE: 148

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 SERVINGS:
1/2 ounce dried chanterelle mushrooms
8 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
2 cups boiling water
2 cups (2-inch) sliced asparagus (about 3/4 pound)
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, sliced
1-1/2 cups uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:
"Normally, fruits and vegetables are very expensive and not as fresh in our
part of Alaska. But we do have four months out of the year when asparagus is
easy to find. This is one of my favorite ways to use it in cooking. My husband
and I end up eating this risotto about once a week." - Kim
Schoenbachler-Nicks, Fairbanks, Alaska

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes or
until soft. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup soaking liquid.
Chop tomatoes; set aside chanterelles and tomatoes.

2. Steam asparagus, covered, 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; set aside.

3. Bring the reserved soaking liquid and broth to a simmer in a medium
saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots,
garlic, and cremini mushrooms; saute 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice;
cook 1 minute. Stir in chanterelles, tomatoes, wine, salt, and pepper; cook 2
minutes or until wine is nearly absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture; cook
3 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add
remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time,
stirring constantly until each portion of broth mixture is absorbed before
adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Add asparagus and cheese, and cook 1
minute. Remove from heat; sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately. Yield: 6
servings (serving size: 1 cup).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 275 (15% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 1g, mono 2.8g, poly 0.5g); PROTEIN
8.4g; CARB 49.8g; FIBER 2.9g; CHOL 1mg; IRON 3.6mg; SODIUM 438mg; CALC 55mg

[Gail]

Hi Carolyn,

Have you met www.epicurious.com (http://www.epicurious.com) ? If you haven't, do check it out. One of the really nice features is that there's a food dictionary, good for questions like yours AND they then provide recipes for said ingredient. Try: www.epicurious.com/run/fooddictionary/browse?entry_id=7621 (http://www.epicurious.com/run/fooddictionary/browse?entry_id=7621)
.

Good luck!


[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 09-13-2000).]

[Gail]

Hi again!

I was typing up a pizza recipe requsted on a different thread and noted the recipe below on the same page-- a little something which utilizes chanterelles.

WILD MUSHROOM AND SAGE PIZZA
The earthy flavor of this pizza is nicely balanced between the mushrooms and pungent fresh sage. Dried sage will substitute, but not quite as aromatically as fresh

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
8 cups sliced wild and/or cultivated mushrooms, such as chanterelles, cèpes, shiitake, oyster, button (about
1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups sliced onions (2 medium)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 recipe pizza dough (see topic on pizza sides)
cornmeal for dusting pizza peel
1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (1/4 pound)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried

In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Place a pizza stone, baking tiles or an inverted baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F or the highest setting. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Working with 2 pieces at a time, form dough into rounds and place on a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet using enough cornmeal so that the dough slides easily. Stretch or roll a second round of dough and place beside the first.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoon mozzarella over each round. Arrange 1/3 cup mushroom-onion mixture evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage or a pinch dried.

Carefully slide the pizzas onto the heated pizza stone, baking tiles or baking sheet and bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the bottoms are crisp and lightly browned. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

Makes eight 6-inch pizzas.

321 CALORIES PER SERVING; 13 G PROTEIN, 5 G FAT, 56G CARBOHYDRATE; 605 MG SODIUM; 8 MG CHOLESTEROL.

[Carolyn]

Many thanks Grace and Gail! Your recipes look WONDERFUL! Now, if only the chantrelles will stay in season in the store long enough for me to make them all. They really have my mouth watering. Gail, I went to epicurious.com and loved it. Finally found a description of what chantrelles should taste like. And found more lucious recipes. I had seen mention of that site but had never gone there. Looks like a very useful site. You both have been really helpful. Thanks