Step 1: Go into the woods and collect yourself a big basket of chanterelles (pfifferlinge).
Note: if you have never done this before, I am not advocating you do this solo — or at all. I’ve been collecting mushrooms with a professional my entire life (since I was 3 or 4 years old), so I know what I am doing. If you don’t know what you are doing, don’t do it. The wrong kind of mushroom can kill you and I don’t want to be blamed for your death. The alternative to traipsing around the forest is to go to your local Whole Foods and buy yourself some chanterelles.
Step 2: Sauté some good smoky bacon in a pan, rendering much of the fat. Add a tablespoon of butter to make it even richer.
Step 3: Add the chanterelles to the pan. Do not crowd! If you have too many mushrooms, make batches. Too many mushrooms in the pan will cause them to stew, not sauté.
Step 4: Sauté over medium-high heat until golden brown and delicious.
Step 5: Add any salt and pepper at the very end of your cooking (with a minute or two left). Doing this earlier will cause the mushrooms to leach too much water and become overly salty.
Step 6: Serve immediately.
