Chantarelle, Kantareller

Known as skogens guld or Swedish forest yellow gold, these luscious chantarelle make an appearance come autumn in Sweden. Pan fried, braised or stewed, this makes a perfect rounding to most any autumn meal.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro, Sweden 2015

Farmers market open on the weekends in Västerås in the main large square of the city centre. It was there that I took the opportunity to pick up several favourite items including a bag of golden chantarelle, also known as Swedish forest yellow gold. Luscious, flavourful and absolutely velvety in texture when lightly stewed in cream, these mushrooms add a just that notch of luxury to most dinner menus.

Chantarelle, Kantareller

Cleaned, parted and ready for the stewing.

There are several ways one could make a light stew out of these golden gifts of the forest. The mushroom flavour is fat soluble, and best brought out by cooking in butter and cream. One of my favourite ways of preparing these mushrooms is to lightly stew them in butter and whipping cream with white fresh onions that are also available during this time of year in Sweden. The fresh onions are easily recognisable as those sold in bunches of about four or five, with their green tops still attached. The chantarelle stew could be rounded off with a dash of your favourite white wine together with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

Chantarelle soup, kantarellsoppa

Lightly stewed in butter and cream, and not much more.

In this case, the chantarelle stew was made with the most basic of ingredients of butter, salt, pepper, whipped cream and chantarelle. And while I think it could be an adventure going out into the forest hunting for these mushrooms, I am right now appreciating that there is a farmers market in the main city square in Västerås on the weekends that brings these treasures to you. This mushroom stew is rich, the chantarelle velvet smooth when soaked in cream, and it makes the perfect accompaniment to most any autumn evening meal.