Swedish Ravioli with Chantarelles and a dash of Royalty
I have a confession to make. I spent every weekend as a child foraging for mushrooms with my parents.
My mom and dad were obsessed. They loved it and knew so much about it that they were once asked to pick a specific type of mushroom for a dinner hosted by Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf. Yes, you read that correctly, Sweden’s Royal Court.
Given this exciting background you’d think that I would have picked up some foraging skills. But while my parents foraged, I lived in my imagination as only a child free to roam alone next to preoccupied parents with their heads to the ground, get to do. I found trolls, horses and magic and they found mushrooms. It was a nice combination. I firmly believe that this is why I’m a novelist, children’s book author, and illustrator today.
But when it comes to mushrooms, I’m clueless.
The other day I noticed that a couple of large yellow mushrooms were growing under the blueberry bushes on our property in Sweden. *
I looked at them and thought that they might be chanterelles, but vaguely remembered my mom telling me that some mushrooms look like chanterelles but are not, and are tasteless. “Eh these are probably the fake ones,” I thought and let them stand.
Then one morning a family strolled by our cottage looking for mushrooms along the road, mushroom baskets at the ready. I decided to ask them about mine. They were happy to help and explained that my mushrooms were indeed chanterelles. Not only were they real, but there were many, growing all over the property. I hadn’t even noticed. We have such nice neighbors!
This is a Swedish recipe with Swedish ingredients, but as with all my recipes nothing is set in stone. Feel free to use what’s available.
Fresh Ravioli filled with Karl Johan Mushrooms (Boletus edulis mushrooms)
Chantarelles
Butter
Olive Oil
Prästost (this Swedish cheese is sharp and flavorful, it´s sometimes cured in whisky (no wonder I like it so much!)
Salt
White Pepper
Boil your ravioli for however long the package says, the Swedish Karl Johan Ravioli recommends three minutes.
Clean your chanterelles and tear them into halves or thirds. Toss them in a dry frying pan and fry on medium to high heat. Once the water evaporates add a good amount of butter, salt and white pepper.
Shred your cheese.
Drain ravioli and drizzle olive oil over it, then add shredded cheese and chantarelles.
Enjoy with a glass of wine. I love white wine with this, but I think red or rose would be very nice as well.
*“Outside the U.S. the bilberry is sometimes referred to as a blueberry. True blueberries, however, are native to the United States, whereas bilberries are native to Northern Europe and certain parts of North America and Asia. Both berries possess health-promoting antioxidant compounds, vitamins and minerals.”
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