This season, the mushroom harvest arrived later than usual. Typically, hunters begin their first forage at the end of June, but cooler days in May pushed the first picks to mid-July. This observation came from mycologist Mikhail Vishnevsky, head of the Russian Union of Mushroom Pickers, and was shared with socialbites.ca.
“The country is vast, and the season unfolds differently in various regions. Overall, chanterelles tend to appear a bit later than normal this year,” he noted.
Chanterelles have already found their way onto restaurant menus, and chefs are using the moment to showcase creativity beyond traditional potato dishes. LES Andrey Kolodyazhny, a restaurant chef, views the chanterelle season as a chance to experiment and push culinary boundaries in the kitchen.
“I adore these vibrant mushrooms. Frying them brings out their brightest flavors. A stir-fry with potatoes and seasonal greens is a real delight,” she admitted.
She adds that there is no need to boil chanterelles before frying, though a quick 10-minute dip in slightly acidic boiling water can help preserve their color when frying.
“The key is thorough cleaning and rinsing. A generous rinse with cold water helps heavy debris settle, allowing leaves and needles to be removed by hand. These mushrooms hide well and are typically worm-free,” she explained.
Kolodyazhny says chanterelles pair beautifully with almost any ingredient—rice, meat, fish, pasta, vegetables, and even buckwheat.
“If you plan to freeze chanterelles for winter, be sure to boil them first; otherwise they can taste bitter after freezing,” she advised.
The chef prefers fresh chanterelles, sautéed and folded into salads and soups, used as a topping for pasta, or shaped into bruschettas.
Rustic bruschetta with chanterelle
For this dish you will need brioche, stracciatella, chanterelles, leeks, butter, microgreens, salt and pepper, plus canned chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, olive oil, red pepper, salt, and pepper for the hummus.
Wash the chickpeas and blend them with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper. Sauté the peppers until soft and blend with the remaining ingredients. Add olive oil and whisk until smooth.
Fry the fritters on a dry pan until both sides are crisp. Sauté onion in butter with salt and pepper. Add chanterelles and cook through. Layer with stracciatella and hummus on the pastry, then spread chanterelles evenly. Garnish with microgreens when serving.
Nikita Ovchinnikov, chef at GIGI, says cooking with chanterelles is a pure joy. “They are the forest’s cleanest mushrooms, sturdy and shapely, with no heaviness despite their calories. Frying or boiling preserves their shine and texture.”
Ovchinnikov recommends frying chanterelles in butter to heighten their flavor and using low heat to maintain aroma. He also shared an original chanterelle gnocchi recipe with socialbites.ca, turning the classic potato dish into something lighter and more colorful with chanterelles.
Gnocchi with chanterelle
Ingredients include gnocchi, dried chanterelles, porcini, red onion, garlic, parsley, parmesan, olive oil, sour cream, mascarpone, chives, salt and pepper.
Cook the gnocchi in boiling water until tender. Clean the chanterelles and sauté them in olive oil with onion and garlic. Add a splash of water from the gnocchi boil along with mascarpone and parmesan. Finish with chopped parsley and chives. Ground porcini to powder and dust plates at serving with creamy sauce and herbs.
Alexander Popov, a renowned chef who runs eight restaurants, calls chanterelle season a bright moment for both chefs and home cooks. Proper handling is essential to fully enjoy the harvest.
Popov recommends soaking chanterelles in ice water for 15 minutes and rubbing them with the soft side of a clean sponge. Trim any damaged areas and dry thoroughly to preserve shape before cooking. A dry, hot pan can help evaporate excess moisture; then oil and fry until golden. For winter storage, pre-boil in salted water for 15 minutes or try pickling—these methods yield elastic, crunchy, and fragrant mushrooms.
Pickled chanterelles
For pickling, you will need chanterelles, black pepper, cloves, garlic, bay leaves, onions, wine vinegar, sunflower oil, sugar and salt.
Rinse and dry chanterelles, boil in salted water for 25 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Dice onions and slice garlic. For the brine, combine peppercorns, clove, bay leaves, garlic, onion, sugar and salt with a splash of water and simmer briefly. Add olive oil, mushrooms and simmer another 10 minutes. Add wine vinegar, mix well, and pack in sterilized jars. Leave in a warm place for a day before enjoying.
Sergey Lazarev, head chef at Zaryadye, calls chanterelles the forest’s coolest product. “They are the purest mushrooms in the forest. They are never wormy, which is a big plus,” he said. He believes frying is the best method and cautions against freezing fresh mushrooms, as storage can make them rubbery and bitter. “Seasonal work should stay seasonal. Some mushrooms can be boiled, pickled or frozen, but chanterelles should remain such in their natural form.” Lazarev notes chanterelles pair beautifully with young zucchini, suggesting fried zucchini pancakes with chanterelles in cream.
Vitello tonnato with chanterelles
Lazarev shared a recipe for vitello tonnato with chanterelles and a Caesar-inspired sauce. The dish uses beef, chanterelles, parmesan, onions, mayonnaise, capers, anchovies, butter, cream, salt, pepper and Provencal herbs. The beef is roasted after rubbing with salt, pepper and herbs, then sliced after resting. The sauce combines mayonnaise, parmesan, capers and anchovies with a touch of lemon. Chanterelles are fried with onions, butter and cream until golden, then plated with the meat and Caesar-like dressing. A dot of pesto and basil can decorate the edges for color and aroma.
Timofey Sulima, the brand chef of a contemporary restaurant, regards chanterelles as among the most versatile mushrooms in central Russia. He enjoys working with them for their clean, bright flavor. “They can be salted, fried, baked into pies, used in snacks and salads, soups and pasta—the results are always satisfying.”
Roti with chanterelle
The chef proposes a hands-on Indian twist with roti. The dough requires flour, water, oil and salt, while the filling features chanterelles, chives, parmesan and sesame. Roll the dough into flat rounds and cook them dry in a hot pan. Top with fried chanterelles, a drizzle of oil, and finish with parmesan, chives and sesame seeds.
Fried chanterelles with mashed potatoes and tomato concasse
Tyumen chef Arkady Kuzevanov shares this signature dish built around chanterelles, new potatoes, butter, cream and greens. The mushrooms are boiled to release moisture, then halved and fried with potatoes and cream, followed by a second round of chanterelles fried in butter and oil with salt and pepper. Tomatoes are briefly boiled and peeled, guiding a light tomato concasse. The dish is finished with sour cream and green onions, and served atop ciabatta with mashed potatoes and mushrooms to create a hearty, comforting bite.