Chanterelle Confit

A wonderful way to cook most mushrooms, with an optional awesome twist

Chanterelles don’t dry very well, or rather they don’t keep their flavor well when dried, so it’s a good idea to cook them before freezing in the event you want to preserve them. This method is akin to frying, but gentler—it sets them up beautifully for freezing. This post is actually two techniques for the price of one, since it illustrates in the tastiest possible way how useful it is to create your own flavorful building blocks and combine them in all sorts of creative ways.

I didn’t make the infused oil specifically for this dish. I made it because it’s awesome and a great way to use up fossilized cheese heels. Having it on hand allowed me to add extra umami and complexity to the mushrooms with no extra effort. If you’ve ever wondered how you can make mushrooms as addictive as potato chips, this method right here is how.