Chanterelle Pot Pie Recipe, Primavera Edition
Spring vegetables and creamy Havarti cheese sauce with a rosemary scented crust. A delectable appointment for the first chanterelles of the season, as well as for last year’s preserved chanterelles.
Inspired by Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates, I’ve been making variations on this pot pie theme for about 20 years. It’s wonderfully savory, yet not overly rich to drown out the delicate flavor of chanterelles.
Last year’s chanterelles? My favorite way to preserve chanterelles is to freeze them. I brush off any dirt and trim away the bad spots, chop them, heat up a skillet with a mild-flavored oil, and saute them on the highest temperature my oil will take before burning. When the water has cooked out and the mushrooms get lightly browned, let them cool, vacuum seal, then stick them in the freezer.
Ingredients
vegetable oil
6 cups fresh chanterelles, cleaned and sliced (or 2 cups cooked)
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
3 cups cubed Yukon Gold potatoes
2 fresh large sage leaves, chopped small
⅓ cup dry white wine
2⁄3 cup stock (chicken, or chicken-style vegetable)
1 ½ cups asparagus, cut to 1” pieces
1 ½ cups sweet green peas
2 tbs chopped parsley
Havarti Cheese Sauce
¼ cup butter
⅓ cup unbleached white flour
2 cups stock (chicken, or chicken-style vegetable)
1 ½ cups grated Havarti cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
Pastry
1 ¾ cups unbleached white flour
1 tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup butter, cubed and kept cold
¼ ice water
Directions
Prepare the chanterelles. Cook the chanterelles in batches. Heat ½ tbs vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat, add 2 cups of chanterelles and saute until the water has cooked out and mushrooms brown lightly. Remove the mushrooms from the pan, and continue until all mushrooms are cooked. Set aside.
Make the filling. In a large soup pot, warm 1 tbs of vegetable oil on medium heat. Add onions, celery, and bay leaf, and saute for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the potatoes, sage, wine, and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus and peas and simmer for another 10 minutes until the vegetables are just getting tender. Remove from heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the chanterelles and parsley. Cover the pot and set it aside.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Make the sauce. In a saucepan melt the butter on medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux, and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Whisk in the stock and simmer, whisking often, until the sauce thickens. Whisk in the cheese until melted, then stir the sauce into the pot of vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste, and pour the filling into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch casserole pan, or 2 9-inch pie plates.
Make the pastry. Mix together the flour and rosemary in a large mixing bowl. Work the cold butter into the flour quickly, using a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles course meal. Sprinkle in the ice water one tablespoon at a time and lightly mix it in. Form the dough into a ball.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to fit your baking dish(es). Completely cover the top of the filing, and crimp the edges or put cut-out designs on top. Cut a few slits in the crust to let steam escape. Brush the crust with egg wash if you want to give it some shine.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.
Feature Font: Rosella
