Sautéed Wild Mushroom Salad
For a light lunch or supper, this salad is perfect with a cheese board and a comforting dessert (such as the red plum and cinnamon crumble you will find on the blog). The quantities serve four hearty appetites.
You can also add a soft-boiled egg per person, or one poached for 3 minutes in water with a dash of vinegar, or some air-dried ham, cut into thick slices and then batons, sautéed – or not – for 2-3 minutes before scattering them over the salad. Ideally, serve it with good sourdough bread.
Nothing complicated here: all the pleasure comes from the blend of aromas – freshness and forest floor – the crunch of hazelnuts, and the contrast of warm and cold on the palate. Simplicity as the natural ally of quiet elegance at the table.
Ingredients (serves 4)
Method (30 mn and 8-10 mn to cook)
- 500 g wild mushrooms: chanterelles, horn of plenty, etc.
- 50 g butter
- 1 handful of hazelnuts
- 2 shallots
- 1 head of green salad
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons walnut or truffle oil
- 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
- ½ tablespoon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Clean the mushrooms gently – take care not to drown them in water, remove all traces of soil, twigs and other debris, and do not underestimate the time this takes – using a damp cloth or a small mushroom brush, and a paring knife to trim the end of the stems. For more than 500 g, a quick dip in a large volume of cold water removes much of the dirt. Keep the mushrooms wrapped in a tea towel.
2. Make the dressing: chop one shallot, mix salt, pepper and mustard, add the vinegar, then the oil, then the shallot. Set aside.
3. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes, then halve them with a knife once lukewarm.
4. Wash and spin the salad. Chop the second shallot. If using, prepare the ham batons or the eggs.
5. 5 to 8 minutes before serving, sauté the mushrooms over high heat, then add the butter in small pieces and the shallot over low heat to coat and brown them. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
6.To serve: dress the salad with the shallot vinaigrette and plate individually. Place the dressed salad in a shallow bowl, add the mushrooms and scatter with hazelnuts. Serve at once.
Good to know: always have your harvest checked by an official mushroom inspector before cooking it. For a first time, the mushroom outings organised with the La Tzoumaz Tourist Office are the best way to discover the forest.