Chanterelle Butter

If the mushrooms you gather are too gritty to be sautéed and served simply, grind them thoroughly in a food processor and put them in a heavy pot over low heat to extract the liquid. Add sticks of butter to the mushrooms as you would for a shellfish butter, cooking the fungi very slowly so that the flavor is infused into the butter. When all of the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms, drain the mixture through a fine sieve, pushing to release the flavorful last bits of juice. Refrigerate the mixture overnight, then remove the congealed mushroom butter from the surface of the mixture the next day. A little spoonful of mushroom butter added to a sauce for meats or pasta can be stunning. (See the recipe for steaks.) Wrap well what you don’t plan to use within the week and freeze it for later use.