un steamé 'pis une graisseuse

My family and I used to go foraging for mushrooms long before it was considered cool. I remember how my schoolmates would look at me quizzically when I boasted about the weekend's bounty. "We picked four pounds - FOUR!!! - of porcini!! And a huuuge basket of chanterelles!!!! Can you imagine?!". No, they couldn't.  And, quite frankly, they didn't give a rat's ass. It was just another thing to add to the lengthy list of Mia's strange and nerdy quirks.

To be perfectly honest, I don't remember enjoying mushroom picking all that much, but given that a child rarely gets a say in how he or she spends the weekend, I had no choice but to come with. I remember long, sinuous rides in the car, with my sister and our dog, followed by trespasses on private properties, and trudging - for what seemed like hours upon hours - through muddy forests and sharp branches, towards our secret mushroom hiding places. There were upsides. I had, and still have, amazing vision. "Eagle eye vision", as my father used to call it. "Eagle Eye Baudry" is what my husband calls me now.  So, I would often spot the day's first bunch of mushrooms before anybody else did. I would run towards it and watch it intently until my parents caught up with me. I was sometimes even allowed to cut the mushrooms myself, once they had been properly identified and deemed large enough to bring home. Another high point: we got to stop for a hot dog and fries (in Québécois jargon, un steamé 'pis une graisseuse) at one of the many roadside greasy spoons the countryside had to offer. The mushroom feasts that ensued weren't bad either.

My parents had made a point of teaching me basic notions in mycology. I knew which trees to look for, which soil beds were most fertile and I had been well trained to spot the yummier mushrooms - porcini, bolets, chanterelles and pleurotes - right away. I also knew quite a bit about poisonous mushrooms and sought them out more eagerly than their edible counterparts, mainly out of morbid curiosity but also because they were the most beautiful varieties out there. I learned quite early that Mother Nature can be very sneaky...

As I write these words, I realise that I must get my family out mushroom hunting. I guess I do have fond memories of it after all. I doubt the steamés will be as good as I remember, but I'm sure we will be able to find an acceptable substitute.  

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These days, especially in the Pacific Northwest, wild mushrooms are almost commonplace. Chanterelles are selling for 8$ a pound at my local grocery store, which is a STEAL when you think of how much you can get for your money and how de.li.ci.ous they are. Chanterelles are fragant and woody and they have the perfect texture. They do not contain that much water and they take well to being sautéed at length, which enhances their flavour.  I usually refrain from using fat (other than loads of olive oil)  in my day-to-day cooking, but I have to admit that there is nothing quite as complementary as butter and mushrooms. Wikipedia tells me that this is because most mushrooms are "fat-soluble". I have no idea what that means. All I know is that they go together like a steamé 'pis une graisseuse. 

Sautéed Chanterelle Bruschetta
Serves 4

My friend Kirsten and I had something similar to this on a perfect late October evening in Portland, a few years back. We have been eating it ever since.  This will serve 4 as an hors d'oeuvre or appetizer, but it will also suit two as a main course, with a nice fall salad on the side.  Oh, and some wine.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound chanterelle mushrooms
1 medium sized shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, in slivers
1 clove garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of  a knife
1 handful fresh Italian parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread, preferrably baguette or something not too yeasty

Directions
Choose mushrooms that appear and smell fresh. Stay away from those that are either drying or shriveled, moldy, soggy or dark in places. They will keep for a few days in your refrigerator as long as they are stored in a paper bag (this allows them to breathe and keeps them from becoming moldy). Refrain from washing the mushrooms under water, unless absolutely necessary. You can either use a damp paper towel or a paring knife to remove the dirt, needles or leaves. If you must wash them, just pass them quickly under cold water and dry them right away in paper towels,  but do not soak them because they will become waterlogged (the only mushroom that I tend to clean with water is the morel, because it can contain lots of sand and because it doesn't absorb much of the water).
1. Leave the smaller mushrooms (less than two inches long) whole and slice or tear the larger ones into two or three pieces lengthwise. 
2. Preheat oven to 400. Slice your baguette (about half an inch) on the diagonal, place it on a cookie sheet and set aside. You have enough mushrooms for beween 8 and 10 pieces of baguette.
3. In a frying pan, heat olive oil butter at medium-high heat and throw in the chanterelles, giving everything a nice stir. Once the mushrooms begin to sweat (after 4 or 5 minutes), reduce the heat to medium and make sure you tip the pan and remove the excess cooking liquids (reserve the juices and use them, one tablespoon at a time, as the mushrooms sauté and things begin to stick). You do not want the chanterelles to boil or simmer in their broth; for this dish, they must sauté and keep a nice firm texture.
4. Throw in the slivered garlic and shallots, a generous pinch of salt, and continue to sauté for a few minutes (about 5) watching carefully as the mushrooms brown a little bit and making sure to add mushroom juices if you see the shallots or garlic burning or if things are getting too dry.  Again, you want the mushrooms to look slightly browned, their flavour will have intensified and they should have held their texture.
5. Once they are ready, chop a small handful of parsley and throw into the mushrooms. Add a few grindings of fresh black pepper and check for salt. Cover and remove from heat. 
6.  Place your baguette in the preheated oven and leave for about 5 minutes, until the bread is just beginning to become a little brown and crispy on the sides. It should still be a little chewy in the middle. You can turn it over halfway through, if you like. Once it is ready, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and rub each piece of bread with the peeled and lightly smashed garlic clove. Watch you don't get carried away or else the raw garlic will overpower the chanterelles (rubbing it twice, up and down, should do).
7. Once the bread slices have cooled a bit (we don't want everything to be too hot), spoon a generous amount of chanterelles onto them. Serve immediately and enjoy!

So-so photo, but you get the basic idea!

Variations

-The chanterelles can be served as a pasta sauce. Just do exactly what is written above but reserve all the cooking juices for the end, adding a bit of olive oil, chicken broth or water if the dish needs liquids as it cooks.  Once your pasta is ready, you reheat the mushrooms with their juices and maybe a touch of cream (i know, i know...). Just heat everything through until it is hot but make sure you do not boil or evaporate any of the liquids. Add pepper and parsley, mix pasta into the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water if necessary. Serve immediately with fresh parm and olive oil on the table.

 -The chanterelles can also make an amazing side dish for poultry. Again, follow the directions but keep your juices for the end, adding a bit of olive oil or water if the dish needs liquids as it cooks. A little thyme thrown in with the shallots and garlic will complement the poultry. 

-Finally, these sautéed mushrooms are perfection as an omelet filling!