Foraging for chanterelles

After our fantastic wild strawberry haul on Monday, we couldn’t resist a second trip. While the Dordogne hasn’t seen quite the insane amount of rainfall that we’ve suffered recently, it has been a wetter than usual spring and now that flaming June is in full swing, the woodlands and verges are absolutely booming.

The woods on either side of the white lane are a mixture of chestnut and beech with a good smattering of bracken. It’s ideal mushroom territory and we weren’t disappointed. We came across the chanterlles in 5 clusters of about 3 – 6 tucked into the leaf mould. Although the caps are quite a vibrant yellow, they disguise themselves quite well amongst the fallen leaves and dappled light.

I love the smell of chanterelles – warm and earthy with a faint hint of apricot. When we got back I patiently cleaned them with a pairing knife, pastry brush and some kitchen paper, taking off any little traces of undergrowth.