Chef Mārtiņš Sirmais shares tips on preparing chanterelles for winter

As autumn approaches, the wild chanterelle season is coming to an end, making now the right time to prepare these mushrooms for winter storage. Rimi's kitchen chef Mārtiņš Sirmais shares advice on how to do it correctly so the mushrooms don't lose their taste.

The first step is careful cleaning. Chanterelles should never be soaked in water, as they absorb excess moisture and lose flavor intensity. Dirt is best removed with a small brush or fingers, while heavily soiled mushrooms can get a quick rinse under running water, followed by thorough drying. Mushrooms bought at a store usually need little to no cleaning.

Sauté before freezing

According to Sirmais, chanterelles should never simply be placed in the freezer, as this makes them turn bitter. The best method is to first sauté them in butter — a bit longer than usual, so excess moisture evaporates — and only then freeze them in small containers. This way, half the work for a future chanterelle sauce is already done.

Tips for a tasty sauce

Rather than cutting chanterelles with a knife, it's better to tear them into larger pieces by hand, since they release a lot of moisture during cooking and bigger pieces help preserve their texture. It's important to cook them in a very hot pan — if the pan isn't hot enough, the mushrooms will stew rather than sauté, changing their flavor. Butter shouldn't be spared during cooking, but salt should only be added at the very end, so it doesn't draw out moisture too early.

When the usual chanterelle sauce gets boring, Sirmais recommends an alternative recipe — a marinated mussel and chanterelle sauce with cream, caper blossoms and bay leaf, which can be served with new potatoes or fresh salad.