Chanterelles and corn are kindred spirits. I fully believe in their affinity because they reach peak season at the same time. Chanterelles have a natural, earthy sweetness that is quite similar to corn.
In this recipe, we’ll nestle sautéed chanterelles onto grilled sourdough bread from Bread Alone Bakery that is bathed in corn pudding made with Edgwick Farm goat cheese. This dish is all about summer goodness. It makes a nice appetizer to enjoy by the campfire when you are hiking in the Hudson Valley, or even when you are done foraging for chanterelles with James of Deep Forest Wild Edibles.
Instead of prepping this meal over the course of a few days as I would normally suggest, I crammed making it into just two days…because let’s be honest. The sooner you get to taste it, the sooner you will want to make it again.
Day 1: Make the Corn Pudding
Prep Time: 10 to 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes | Special Equipment: Blender, fine strainer
Ingredients
- 4 cups corn kernels (about 6 ears of corn)
- 3 tablespoons goat cheese, room temperature (I recommend Edgwick Farm goat cheese or any local goat cheese)
- 1 cup water
- Salt, to taste
Step by Step
- Husk the corn and remove the silks
- Trim off the corn kernels with a knife. Reserve the cobs!
- Now you need to get the corn starch out of the cobs. Here’s the trick. With the back of your knife, scrape the cob with a little pressure from the bottom to the top of the cob. You will see a starchy, milky corn cream. That’s liquid gold, always save this. It’s called the cream of corn. We’ll use this to thicken the corn pudding. Save any extra in a mason jar for later use. You can also use it to thicken soups and sauces.
- Measure out 4 cups of corn kernels
- Place them in a blender with the water and cream of corn, and blend for one minute. You may need to tamp down the corn or add more water to get it to start blending. The goal is to make a corn puree
- After it’s blended, strain the mixture so it’s not grainy
- Next, add the corn puree to a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat
- Bring to a boil, whisking constantly to prevent sticking and burning, then reduce to a simmer
- Simmer the puree down to a thick, pudding-like consistency for about 15 to 20 minutes. Continue whisking, because pudding is starchy and will scorch on the bottom if it is not stirred.
- Next, remove the pot from the heat and let cool to room temperature. You can put the sauce pot in a bowl of ice water to speed cooling if desired.
- Once cooled, whisk in the goat cheese
- Add salt to taste
- The corn pudding is now finished. You can store it in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator if needed.
Farm2ChefsTable Tip: There’s a thousand and one ways to trim corn kernels. My recommendation is to lay the corn flat and trim the kernels away from the cob with a sharp knife. This stops the kernels from flying all over the place. Also, save the corn cobs! Not only are they packed with flavor, but they’re full of corn starch, which you’ll need to thicken the pudding. You can also use corn starch to make a flavorful corn stock, or even throw it in your fire pit when grilling to impart a nice, smoky flavor.
Day 2: Grill the Toast, Sauté the Chanterelles, Crumble Goat Cheese, and Enjoy!
Grilled Toast
Prep Time: 5 to 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 to 10 minutes | Grill Temperature: 400F degrees | Special Equipment: Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 4 slices of sourdough bread, 1” thick
Farm2ChefsTable Tip: Bread Alone Bakery has a wonderful sourdough rye bread that is great for this dish. However, any high-quality sourdough bread from an artisanal bread baker is just as wonderful.
- Olive oil, as needed
- Fresh-cracked black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Step by Step
- Heat your coals or grill to 400F degrees. Checking charcoal temperature is simple. Once your coals are ashed over and glowing red (this takes about 30 minutes), create a charcoal pyramid on the grill bed. Place your hand 10 inches away from the coals. If the heat is unbearable after 4 seconds, then your grill is at medium heat, or 400F degrees. Now you’re ready to begin grilling the bread.
- Brush olive on both sides of the bread with a pastry brush
- Season with salt and pepper
- Grill the bread until you get some nice, dark grill marks on both sides. A little charring on the corner of the bread is welcomed here.
- Remove bread from grill and set aside
Sauté the Chanterelles
Prep Time: 20 to 30 minutes | Cook Time: 5 to 10 minutes | Special Equipment: Pastry brush
Working in many French kitchens in my career, the following was drilled into me every time I made a mushroom sauté: “Shallots, thyme, garlic…Shallots, thyme, garlic…Shallots, thyme, garlic”. Together, these spices are simple and oh so tasty. It’s a “less is more” approach to the humble mushroom (ideally a mushroom foraged by James of Deep Forest Wild Edibles). However, I decided to reinvent this classic combo by adding fine herbs (a blend of parsley, chervil, tarragon and chive). Fine herbs really elevates sautéed mushrooms to the next level of goodness.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chanterelle mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (vegetable oil also works)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup shallots, minced (about 2 shallots)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 4 thyme sprigs (leaves only), minced
- 2 teaspoons tarragon, minced
- 2 teaspoons chives, minced
- 2 teaspoons chervil, minced
- 2 teaspoons parsley, minced
Step by Step
- Cleaning chanterelles is super easy, but time consuming. However, it’s really worth it in the end. Use a pastry brush to remove the dirt from the chanterelles. Soaking chanterelles in water to wash them is not a good idea. They absorb water like a sponge and will not sear well when cooked. Instead, they will bleed out all the water and cook like a stew, which is not what we want to happen.
- Once the chanterelles are clean and the remaining ingredients are minced, it’s go time
- Heat a large, heavy bottom sauté pan over medium-high heat
- Slick the pan with grapeseed oil
- When the oil begins to shimmer and light wisps of smoke form, add the chanterelles
- Sauté your chanterelles for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Next, turn the heat down to medium low
- To the pan of chanterelles, add 3 tablespoons of butter and melt until foamy
- Then, add the shallots and cook for one minute
- Add the garlic and thyme next, cooking for another minute on medium-low heat
- Turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat
- Stir in the fine herbs
Assemble the Dish
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- Corn pudding, sautéed chanterelles & grilled toast (recipe and instructions above)
- 4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
Step by Step
- Smear a generous amount of corn pudding evenly on the toast
- Make a little indent in the corn pudding
- Nestle the chanterelles in the indent
- Crumble goat cheese on top
- Serve and enjoy.
Farm2Chef'sTable 