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Fresh chanterelle mushrooms are the perfect accompaniment to German-style spaetzle and grilled wild pork
By Michael Pendley author of Timber 2 Table Wild Game RecipesAugust 31, 2022 Print RecipeOne of the only good things about the abundance of rain we have had this summer is a bumper crop of chanterelle mushrooms.
Chanterelles are a favorite, both for flavor and for ease of identification. As with any wild mushrooms, it is always best to learn from an experienced forager, or use at least two reference books for cross identification before eating. But chanterelles are often one of the first foragers learn. They are yellow or red, trumpet shaped, and have false gills on the bottom of the caps. When you pull them apart, the inside will be white and almost stringy, like pulling apart string cheese.
My favorite way to cook chanterelle mushrooms is to start them dry in a pan, let them release their moisture, and then add a bit of butter to finish. You can eat them as is, or add to any number of recipes like this German-style spaetzle.
Spaetzle is a tiny German dumpling, like a smaller version of gnocchi. A thin dough is forced through small holes and dropped into boiling water to cook. If you are serious about making it, get yourself a dedicated spaetzle maker. Most look like a flat cheese grater with a sliding box on top. If you don’t make it often, or just want to try it for the first time, just use a colander or a steam basket with round holes about ¼ inch in diameter and force the dough through with a spoon or rubber spatula.
We finish off the spaetzle in a browned butter sauce with a bit of garlic and whole grain mustard. Season and grill the pork tenderloins until the thickest part reaches 145 degrees. Then rest before slicing.
Serve by layering the sliced pork over the spaetzle and mushrooms on a platter.
2 wild pig tenderloins, 1.5-2 pounds total
2 tablespoons Myron Mixon Wild Game Rub
1 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt
Spaetzle
2 cups flour
1-½ teaspoons salt
4 large eggs (room temperature)
½ cup milk
To make the spaetzle, start by mixing together the flour and salt in a medium to large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature eggs until they are well beaten together. Add the milk to the eggs and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour egg mixture into it.
Mix until a soft dough forms. The dough should be just thicker than pancake batter — thin, but not runny. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow dough to rest for about 10 minutes.
Bring 2-3 quarts of well-salted water to a boil. Scoop about half of the batter into a spaetzle maker, or a large colander or steamer basket with round holes, and use a spatula to push the batter through the holes and into the boiling water.
Give the dumplings a gentle stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until they float to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to transfer dumplings into a colander to drain and then transfer them to a bowl. Repeat the process using the remainder of the dough.
While the spaetzle cooks, coat the pork tenderloins with Wild Game Rub. Grill at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the thickest part of the pork reaches 145 degrees. Remove the pork from the grill and cover loosely with foil to rest for 5-10 minutes.
While the spaetzle and pork tenderloin cook, coarsely chop the mushrooms and add them to a large, dry skillet over medium heat. They will shrink considerably, so don’t chop them too small to start. Salt the mushrooms well. Cook, stirring often, until they release their moisture. Once all of the liquid has evaporated, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and reduce the heat to low.
To finish the dish, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Let the butter melt and cook until it reaches a golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Add the spaetzle and stir to coat with the browned butter. Add a pinch of nutmeg and stir well. Check for salt and adjust if needed. Gently stir in the garlic, sautéed chanterelle mushrooms, and parsley.
Cook for 3-4 minutes. Pour the mushroom spaetzle onto a serving platter. Slice the pork tenderloin into medallions and layer over the spaetzle before serving.
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