The Secret to Cooking Large Mushrooms
 

It's Chanterelle season here and we've been harvesting plenty. The first couple of dishes I made with them were kind of blah and watery, so I looked to the internet for some ideas on how to make them better.

Here's the secret: Bake them first, before slicing them into a stew, or omelet.

Brush a sheet pan with oil and lay down fresh, cleaned mushrooms, stem up, lightly season with S&P. Bake them at around 350f until they just start to get browned and crisp on the edges and they look a little carmelized. Take them out and let them cool. You can then slice them up for a dish, or store them in a zippy.

Doing it this way keeps the mushrooms firm and meaty. Plus, the flavor is much more intense. I've used this method on Portabellas too.

Love your recipes tropit! Thanks for that hint. Next time I have large mushrooms, I'll give that a try.

You're making my mouth water! Unfortunately, it will be months before we might find morels up at the cabin! Some years we get dozens, other years only a few. I've never baked them before, just the usual butter/garlic balsamic saute with an occasional herb added!

Oooohhhh....morels are my favorite mushroom. We don't see them in our area. I know that there are professional foragers that go out to the burn areas to find them.

I have to keep a close watch up at the cabin! People think nothing of tromping all over our back woods to search for them! We even have signs posted, but it doesn't do any good! The season is so short, that you need to be right on top of it, and check daily. You'd be surprised at how fast they can grow!

We have a sign on our property "Video Camera In Use." Just the sign, no camera. It seems to help keep them out. Still, we do get an occasional hiker or hunter. The hunters scare me...they have guns and don't seem to have a lot upstairs.

I recently read that even when sauteing mushrooms, you should put them in a dry fry pan and cook a bit to get some of the moisture out. Then add your butter and whatever you want. I love mushrooms!

We actually have 'fake" cameras installed. They are real fire cameras that aren't hooked up. Our neighbors all think they are real. Maybe I should get a sign also.