Chantarelles are in season in Austria. Chantarelle mushrooms are also a typical Nordic wild mushroom used in many ways in Nordic cooking. My favorite ways are sauces served with flamed salmon, seasoning potatoes, or baking a quiche. Alcacean-style Flammkuchen is also something that I make pretty often as a snack or aperitif when we have guests. You can pickle chantarelles, and they freeze pretty well, too.

Chanterelle is the common name of several species of fungi in the genera Cantharellus, Craterellus, Gomphus, and Polyozellus. They are orange, yellow, or white, meaty, and funnel-shaped. On the lower surface, most species have rounded, forked folds that run almost all the way down the stipe, which tapers down from the cap. Many species emit a fruity aroma and often have a mildly peppery taste.

Chanterelles are found in Eurasia, North America, and Africa, typically growing in forested areas. They initially gained popularity as edible mushrooms in the 18th century when they were included in French cuisine.

I like serving this quiche as lunch with some salad. It makes an excellent evening snack, too, or if you are planning a big buffet-style party, this is a great savory option because you can make it beforehand. I like adding some Tyrolean smoked speck into the quiche in order to make it bit more hardier. Especislly when I am serving it as lunch or dinner with salad.

You can make this recipe also without speck and vary the cheese in the crust and filling. When you choose another kind of cheese than parmesan go towards salty and strong tasting cheeses. No blue cheese! That’s already too much. As thyme I amusing lemon thymian since it’s growing in my garden. It gives lovely lemony flavor that fits very well together with chantarelles. In the recipe is normal thymian because I am not so sure if you can find lemon thymian easily everywhere.

Crust

• 125 g butter or margarine
• 3 dl rye flour
• (¼ tsp salt)
• 1 dl Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp water

Filling

• 1 l chanterelle mushrooms
• 1 dl onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
• 3 eggs
• 2 dl Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 dl cream
• (100g Tyrolean smoked speck cut in small cubes)
• (½ tsp salt)
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Additionally

• Baking weights or dried peas (to help with baking)

Instructions

For the Crust:

1. Measure cold butter, flour, and salt into a bowl and mix until crumbly.
2. Grate the cheese and finely chop the thyme, adding both to the crust mixture along with the water. Mix quickly until smooth.
3. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of a pie dish (ø 25–26 cm). Prick the bottom with a fork a few times. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
4. Cut a piece of baking paper slightly larger than the dish and place it over the dough. Fill the dish with baking weights or dried peas to prevent the edges from collapsing. Pre-bake the crust in a 225°C oven for 10 minutes.

For the Filling:

1. Clean the mushrooms and cut them into a few pieces. Small ones can be used whole.
2. Chop the onion fine (If you are using speck cut the speck into small cubes=
3. Sauté the onion in butter in a hot pan for about 5 minutes. (Add the speck if using it) Add chantarelles and sauté couple of minutes more. Add thyme and remove the pan from the heat.
4. Mix the eggs, grated cheese, cream, and spices together.
5. Lower the oven temperature to 200°C. Remove the weights or peas and baking paper from the dish.
6. Spread the mushroom-onion mixture in the dish and pour the egg-cream-cheese mixture over it evenly.
7. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Serve the chanterelle pie warm.

Tips:

• You can bake the pie a day in advance. It reheats well.
• In addition to Parmesan cheese, Bergkäse or Pecorino are good choices for their strong, salty flavors.
• Sometimes, I add some nice smoked Tyrolian speck into the quiche to make it a bit hardier.