How to Cook Dry Chanterelles (4 Steps)

Full of a woody, rich flavor, chanterelles are a tasty addition, when lightly sauteed, to stir fries, salads or casseroles. However, the mushrooms are most commonly found in the supermarket in dried form. They can be reconstituted, and the liquid that is drained off is full of its own flavor that can be used in sauces, stews or gravies at a later date. The dried mushrooms can also be added to dishes without reconstituting them, however, their cooking time must be taken into consideration when doing so.

Things You'll Need

Colander
Mushroom brush

Large bowl

Instructions

Remove the dried chanterelles from their packaging. Brush off any pieces of dirt from the bottom of the stems. Place in a colander and rinse under running cold water, using the mushroom brush to remove any additional debris.
Place the chanterelles in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Keep them in the refrigerator for 24 hours to allow the mushrooms to absorb the moisture. Alternatively, use wine or vegetable broth to reconstitute the mushrooms. Add in the same way as the water. This adds extra flavors to each mushroom.
Remove the reconstituted mushrooms from the fridge, checking if they are ready by piercing them with a fork. The utensil should easily slide in and out of the mushroom when they are fully reconstituted. Drain off the mushroom liquid, reserving it to one side.
Add chanterelles as directed in the desired recipe or saute them plain in butter and serve as a side dish. If adding the mushrooms to a soup, stew, sauce, or recipe that calls for savory liquid, add the reconstituting liquid that has been set to one side. This is full of flavor and should not be discarded. If there is no use for it within the recipe, freeze the liquid and add it to future soups or stews for extra flavor.

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