Pfifferlinge on the plate
A wonderland of green vegetables Berlin may not be, but one thing she’s got in spades, especially this time of year, is Pfifferlinge. Petite, fluted, and the color of pale mustard, Pfifferlinge (in English, chanterelle; in French, girolle) are the fungus of fall and seem to find their way onto every menu in town, at least for the few weeks when they’re abundant. Pfifferlinge can cost a small fortune in my home town (San Francisco…but then, so do most fancy mushrooms there) so it’s particularly exciting to pick up a generous basket of mushrooms for just a few euros here in the Hauptstadt.
Pfifferlinge are easy to cook but can be just as easily goofed if you’re not careful. (Tough and chewy mushrooms = not delicious.) They can be fairly dirty — take a small brush (or slightly damp cloth) to wipe off the remnants of the forest. If you don’t get off all the dirt, no worries. Just consider it added “natural” flavor. Trim the ends slightly. Try to avoid dunking or soaking them in water; the mushrooms bloat and get tough.
Just like any delicacy, there’s plenty of ways to cook Pfifferlinge — think light, as the mushrooms offer a delicate flavor and aroma. Anything heavy or overly spiced will overwhelm the Pfifferlinge. The easiest route is this: sautee over medium heat a tablespoon or two of minced shallots or onions in oil, then add your cleaned Pfifferlinge to the pan. Add a splash of dry white wine, and cover briefly to steam. When the liquid’s almost gone, add a dollop of butter and sautée for another minute or two. After this, add them to or over anything — just this weekend I had a simple lollo rosso (that super-curly, reddish lettuce) salad with sautéed Pfifferlinge, and it was perfect. Pfifferlinge play well with light cream sauces, too.
But there are more recipes and certainly more lovely fall mushrooms out there. What fungus is your favorite? Tell us below. (am)
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September 25th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Pfifferlinge is definitely one of my seasonal highlights: I ussually have to make a big plate of fresh tagliatelle (broad band noodles) with pfifferling-sahne-sauce at least once! Basically I follow your recipe, but instead of white wine I douse them in cream/light cream, reduce it till creamy, add fresh pepper and that’s it.
Steinpilze are good too - terribly expensive though.
My very favourite mushroom are portobellos though, I discovered them last year in New York and have been hunting them ever since - without any success, I might add. Maybe you can give me a hint where I could find them in Berlin?
September 26th, 2007 at 9:28 am
For those who can’t be arsed to cook, I recommend going to Marjellchen. When I went a couple of months ago they actually has a Pfifferlinge menu and the food was *superb*.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Bleistifterin: Can’t say I’ve come across portobellos yet, but last time I was at the Wittenbergplatz market, there was a woman selling all sorts of fantastic mushrooms, most of which looked like they belonged under the sea, not necessarily in a forest…but if anyone would have portobellos, I bet she would. I’ll check back soon.
Bowleserised: My common in-laws are arriving imminently; your restaurant recommendation couldn’t be more timely. thanks!
October 25th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Hi Bleistifterin,
you get portobellos at every supermarket almost all the year round. They’re called “Champignons” or sometimes “Egerlinge” here and you get them in a white and a brown variety. The brown ones are harder to get and are said to be more aromatic. The white ones are rather common and you can also get them in cans.
As for the Pfifferlinge:
here in Bavaria we sautee a finely sliced onion, add the sliced mushrooms (slice them lengthwise - it looks better), add a few scrambled eggs and lots of finely chopped chives (use a pair off scissors instead of a knife to cut the chives - that’s faster and much simpler). Salt and pepper to taste and serve with a nice side salad.
In Bavaria we call them “Rehgeißerl” (female deer) or “Reherl” as deer prefer to eat these particular mushrooms after giving birth (the deer, not the mushrooms). Apparently, they contain certain substances that help the deer to balance out their hormones plus they are rich in minerals and vitamins. And extremely tasty, I might add =)