chanterelles

the perfect autumn colour and taste. the first time i tried chanterelle mushrooms was in sweden 2 years ago. i saw them at hötorget in stockholm and took a bag back to my hostel. all i did was eat them on toast after a quick saute in butter. incredible flavour and texture! sometimes a simple preparation is best, and this is definitely one of those times. still, i felt like this heavenly shroom deserved to crown more than just toast. has it really been 2 years since i've eaten chanterelles? ):

chanterelle risotto
adapted from epicurious

6 1/2 tbsp margarine or olive oil, divided
600g fresh wild mushrooms
1 1/2 liter (about) warm vegetable broth
1/2 of a small leek, finely chopped
300ml arborio rice
6 tbsp dry white wine

melt 2 tbsp of margarine in a pan over medium heat. add some mushrooms (without crowding the pan) and saute until tender, adding salt and pepper to taste. set aside. add the rest of the mushrooms in about 3 more batches, adding salt & pepper and another tablespoon of margarine with each new batch. melt the remaining margarine in the pan and add the leeks with a pinch of salt. saute until tender, and add the rice. stir for about 4 minutes and add the white wine. stir around until the liquid is mostly absorbed. start adding in the veg broth around 200 milliliters at a time, stirring well. add more broth only when most of the liquid in the pan has been absorbed; you should be able to part the rice with your spoon/spatula and not see any liquid running into the valley you've created. keep stirring and adding broth for about 10 minutes, then add the mushrooms. continue stirring and adding broth for about 10 more minutes. turn off the heat and add a dollop of margarine or flavoured oil if you like. you can also add parmesan at this point but why deveganize it? (:

serve with a bold white wine (maybe even the one you used in the risotto) or maybe just cheap, ice-cold beer. (;