Thanksgiving stuffings and side dishes often call for chanterelles, mushrooms that are highly prized for their flavor and sturdiness. They hold their own under the pressure of cooking.
Chanterelles have a trumpet-shape body and range in color from soft white to stark blackish blue, depending on the variety: African red-capped chanterelle, black trumpet, and blue, white or yellow. Each can vary greatly in flavor.
Mild white and slightly sweet chanterelles are often used in soups and chowders, while black trumpet can stand on their own with bold flavors that suggest black tea, banana, violet and peat moss. Yellow, the most common, is golden in color with a mild flavor that hints of sweet fruit.
Chanterelles are in season from September to February, and are widely available – for a price – at farmers' markets and well-stocked supermarkets. Mushroom-hunters find them in woodsy, damp areas, but novice pickers beware: Two poisonous kinds of mushrooms – the jack-o'-lantern and the aptly named false chanterelleare – often mistaken for chanterelles. Both are known for their convincing chanterelle disguises, and both can result in serious illness.
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