How do we cook and clean chanterelles, mushrooms, and capers?

Autumn has begun, and so have the first mushrooms. According to mycologists, we find ourselves in what could be the best season in recent years due to the rains in spring and late August. If you're one of those who've already harvested some good baskets, chef Jordi Perich of the restaurant Cal Carter, in the town of Mura, explains how to clean and cook them at home with the best tips, which apply to chanterelles, milk cap mushrooms, and milk cap mushrooms.

How do we clean them?

1. It's best not to soak chanterelles and milk caps in water, as they'll soak up the water and become very soggy. On the other hand, white lenga mushrooms don't soak as much because of their texture. If you have morels, you can soak them in water.
2. So, to clean the chanterelles, you must peel the stem, otherwise they will become bitter. Remove the skin from the stem. Next, take a clean cloth, dampen it, and wipe the chanterelle with it to remove any dirt. This will prepare it for the pan.
3. As for the button mushrooms, you'll notice they're dirtier because they're closer to the ground. To clean them, remove the stem with a knife and check that it's not worm-eaten. If it isn't, wipe it with a damp cloth. This can be a tough job because you have to wipe it thoroughly.
4. As for the white llenegues, clean them by using a knife to remove the remaining dirt from the stem. You can submerge them in a bowl of water to clean them thoroughly.

How do we cook chanterelles?

Ingredients

• Chanterelles
• All
• Parsley
• Coarse salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

Elaboration

1. In a pan with olive oil over low heat, add chopped garlic. Don't burn it. Then add the chanterelles, and with their juice and a little salt, they will release their juices. It's very important to stop when you see they've released their juices, because then the cooking time will finish in the oven at 100°C for five minutes. Place them in the oven with the caps down.
2. After five minutes, remove them from the oven. Add a little parsley and stir well. If you don't want to eat them right away, you can store them in the refrigerator because they're already cooked. In fact, to preserve mushrooms, it's best to cook them, because if you keep them fresh in the refrigerator for three or four days, they can spoil.
3. If you keep them in the refrigerator, briefly pass them through the pan to dry them on top. Once they're hot and the pan is stirred, you can serve them. The red juice they'll have obtained is that of the chanterelle, which gives them their maximum flavor.
4. Finish with a little pepper. Serve them right-side up, with the cap touching the plate. Sprinkle with coarse salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy!