Polenta makes an easy and filling supper - and is delicious with a fresh mushroom sauce.
Polenta is the classic staple food of much of Northern Italy – regions such as the Veneto, Friuli and many parts of Lombardy. It’s made from cornmeal, which is essentially stirred into boiling water to form a thick porridge. This can then form a hearty hot base for sauces, or can be allowed to cool, after which it can be cut into slices and grilled or gently fried. It's good sprinkled with Parmesan.
Polenta is easy to make – and you can buy instant versions which are extremely quick. It goes particularly well with a rich mushroom sauce – porcini are perfect. This is a basic recipe for Polenta with Mushroom Sauce. You can adapt it to your own taste.
Polenta with Mushroom Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Polenta (for 4)
- ½ litre / 2 pints water
- 350g / 12 oz polenta
- 50g / 2 oz grated Parmesan
- salt
(or use instant polenta – much quicker and easier - and follow the instructions on the packet)
For the Sauce:
- 15g / ½ oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp olive oil (or 50g / 2 oz butter)
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 450g / 1 lb mixed fresh, cleaned mushrooms (such as chestnut, flat and field mushrooms)
- tomato puree (optional)
- 120ml / 4 fl oz red wine (optional)
- fresh thyme or flat parsley leaves – chopped
- salt / freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl, add 150ml/1/4 pint hot water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain, reserve the liquid and chop the mushrooms. (Or follow the instructions for re-hydrating on the packet of dried mushrooms).
- Heat the oil (or butter, you choose) in a pan, then sauté the onion until it turns golden brown. Add the celery and cook until it softens (around 5 minutes).
- Turn up the heat and add the rehydrated dried, and fresh cleaned, mushrooms. Add the garlic and cook gently for around 10 minutes.
- Then add a little tomato puree if you like - and/or the red wine - as well as the chopped herbs. Also add some of the reserved mushroom liquid and a little salt/pepper.
- Turn down the heat and let the sauce simmer. If it looks too thick, add more of the reserved mushroom liquid.
- While that’s cooking make the polenta (if using instant polenta, follow instructions on the packet):
- Brink the water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt. Pour in the corn meal in a fine thin stream (too much, too soon and you’ll end up with lumps). Stir the mixture with a whisk the whole time, make sure it keeps boiling and keep whisking gently to keep it smooth.
- Once all the cornmeal is added, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon (choose one with a long handle – this mixture can bubble and spit in your face). Ensure that you don’t let the mixture stick to the pan. Continue to stir as it thickens and starts to come away from the pan. This will take around 30 to 40 minutes. It’s done when it comes away cleanly but isn’t runny.
- Remove from the pan and stir in half the Parmesan, plus some black pepper.
- Spoon onto the plates – or a serving dish. Then top with the mushroom sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan – and perhaps a little chopped parsley.
