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Answers: #1 rule of eating any wild mushrooms...make sure you have purchase/harvest them from a reliable source. It's not a good idea to just pick wild mushrooms on your own unless you are a pro or have lots of experience and really know what species you are dealing with. Too many people (novices) have found out the hard way and were either poisoned, had kidney failure or died. Ok, enough of the lecture.

Do not wash the mushrooms. Water will make them rot. Simply take a clean soft bristled brush (a new toothbrush works great) and brush them off all over. Remove all visible dirt and brush out the gills really well.

An easy and delicious way to prepare them:
After clean up the mushrooms, cut the hard end off the bottom of the stem and discard it. Remove the stems from the mushroom caps. Slice them up thinly. Heat up a large skillet. Add in about 1-2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted, add in the mushrooms and saute'. Cook them for about 7 minutes on high heat. Season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. You can add in a splash of white wine in the last few minutes of cooking. Enjoy. Chantrelles are wonderful.

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rub off the dirt

no water

then sautee with butter and olive oil

maybe some garlic

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with a damp paper towel

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To clean Fresh Chanterelles it is best to brush them and pick off any dirt unless they are very dirty. If washing is required do so immediately before use to avoid storing wet mushrooms.

Occasionally you may find a few tiny insect larvae munching on the inside of your Chanterelles. Dunk the mushrooms in salted water for a few minutes before cooking. If a few remain consider them extra protein. Unless there are a lot, don't think about it, just cook and enjoy.

Potato Gratin with Fresh Wild Chanterelles

Ingredients:

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (or cepes)
1 quart boiling water
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 garlic clove sliced in half lengthwise
1 pound fresh chanterelles
Salt to taste
5 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons dry red wine
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 pounds potatoes cut into ? inch slices
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
Place the dried porcini in a bowl and cover them with the boiling water. Let them soften in the water for about a half hour. Being careful to save the liquid, drain them through a strainer or sieve lined with cheesecloth, then squeeze them. Rinse thoroughly, then squeeze them dry and chop them coarsely.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and rub the inside of a three quart gratin dish with the cut side of the garlic clove. Combine the fresh chopped chanterelles with salt in a large, heavy skillet and cook over medium heat until they begin to release their moisture. This should take only one or two minutes, depending on the size and weight of the skillet.

Continue to cook the mushrooms while stirring them for about five minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Add three teaspoons of the olive oil, the chopped porcinis, the minced garlic, and the thyme. Continue to cook for a few minutes, until you can smell the garlic. Add the red wine and pepper, and cook, stirring, for a short time, or until the wine has been absorbed. Remove from heat and mix with the potatoes. Arrange the mixture in the gratin dish. Measure out three cups of the liquid reserved from soaking the porcinis and pour it over the mushroom and potato mixture.

Bake for about 90 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is crusty. Several times during baking, stir the potatoes from the bottom up to the top. When the top begins to turn golden brown, sprinkle with the cheese and the remaining olive oil. Continue baking until the top is a rich, golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

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