Description
Creamy polenta topped with roasted wild mushrooms and a rich garlic mushroom sauce—warm and full of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
For the gravy:
- 3 handfuls of wild mushrooms
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1½ cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the mushrooms:
- 1 ½ lb wild mushrooms (seasonal mix of chanterelle, hen of the woods), largest chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 4 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil (possibly a touch more)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the polenta:
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cup polenta
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Place wild mushrooms in a bowl with 1 cup warm water and let them soften for about 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Save the flavorful water! Chop the mushrooms and set aside.
- While the mushrooms are macerating, preheat oven to 400 degrees. On two to three rimmed metal baking trays, gently toss mushrooms with parsley, oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes and set aside.
- Heat oil in a saucepan, and sauté garlic for a minute or two. Add wine, bay leaf, and thyme, and simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the wine. Add chopped mushrooms, stock, and the water used to soak the mushrooms. Simmer until you have just over a cup left. Take out the bay leaf.
- In a small bowl, stir butter and flour together until it forms a paste. Whisk the butter mixture into the mushroom sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. You might enjoy a peppery zing here, so be generous.
- Bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add salt. Lower the heat and add the polenta, whisking as you go to remove lumps. Stirring every couple of minutes with a wooden spoon, cook 15 to 20 minutes until thick. Turn off the stove. Stir in the cheese and butter, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately with gravy and roasted mushrooms.