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Polenta with mushrooms
Polenta con funghi: soft Veneto polenta with garlicky mushrooms
In the Veneto and the mountain valleys of the north-east, polenta is the old daily staple, poured steaming onto a wooden board in the middle of the table. Its classic autumn partner is funghi trifolati: mushrooms sautéed with garlic, parsley and a splash of white wine until glossy and deeply savoury. Soft polenta is spooned into bowls with the mushrooms on top, a warming supper for a cold night. Chef's tip: whisk the cornmeal into the water in a thin stream; if it goes in all at once, it lumps and no amount of stirring will fix it.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the polenta
For the mushrooms
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 5 ½ cups water and 1 ½ tsp salt to the boil in a heavy pan. Turn the heat to medium and pour in 9 oz quick-cook polenta (cornmeal) in a thin stream, whisking all the time.
5 minStep 2: Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 5–8 minutes for quick polenta (or 40 minutes for traditional), until thick, smooth and it pulls away from the sides. It will splutter: stir carefully. Common mistake: making it too stiff; for serving soft, it should slump slowly off a spoon. Add hot water if needed.
8 minStep 3: Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add half the 1 ⅓ lb mixed mushrooms (chestnut, oyster, shiitake) and leave them alone for 2 minutes until they brown underneath, then stir and cook 3 minutes more. Repeat with the rest of the oil and mushrooms.
10 minStep 4: Return all the mushrooms to the pan over a medium heat. Add 3 cloves garlic, 3 sprigs thyme, ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
1 minStep 5: Pour in ¼ cup dry white wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes until almost gone and the mushrooms look glossy. Stir in 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley.
2 minStep 6: Beat 1 ⅜ oz butter and 1 ⅜ oz Parmigiano Reggiano into the polenta. Spoon into warm bowls and top with the mushrooms and their juices.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does polenta with mushrooms take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of mixed mushrooms (chestnut, oyster, shiitake)?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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