Wild Mushroom and Herb Polenta

A quintessential fall recipe, pairing earthy wild mushrooms with the zesty brightness of fresh herbs, most of which will hang on until the first frost. Built like a pizza, this dish is easy to assemble and brings a touch of effortless elegance to the weeknight table. Serve with a salad of baby lettuces and frisee tossed in a light vinaigrette. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Cups wild mushrooms (chanterelles, porcini, hedgehog, etc.), brushed clean, large ones halved or even quartered
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon truffle oil (optional - could also used truffle salt from Springwater Farm in place of regular salt)
Salt and black pepper
2 1/2 Cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
1/2 Cup polenta
3 oz Parmesan, grated
2 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1 Teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon chopped chervil (sub parsley if unavailable)
4 oz soft-ripened cheese (such as Fraga Farm camembert or Willamette Valley Cheese brie), cut into thin slices

1. Heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add half of the mushrooms and fry just until cooked, 5-10 minutes; try not to move them much so you get golden-brown patches on their surface. Remove from the pan and repeat with the rest of the mushrooms and oil. Off the heat, return all the mushrooms to the pan and add the garlic, tarragon, thyme, truffle oil, and some salt and pepper. Keep warm.

2. Bring the stock to boil in a saucepan. Slowly stir in the polenta, then reduce the heat to the minimum and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The polenta is ready when it leaves the sides of the pan but is still runny. If you are using instant polenta, this shouldn't take more than 5 minutes; with traditional polenta it could take up to 50 minutes (if it seems to dry out, add some more stock or water, but just enough to keep it at a thick porridge consistency).

3.  Preheat the broiler. When the polenta is ready, stir in the Parmesan, butter, rosemary and half the chervil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the polenta over a heatproof dish and top with the soft-ripened cheese slices. Place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles. Remove, top with the mushrooms and their juices, and return to the broiler for a minute to warm up. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining chervil.

Based on a recipe from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.

Mushroom Gravy

makes about 4 cups

Ideally, I use 2 pans to make this gravy. The good news is that the chanterelles can be cooked ahead, eliminating the need for both pans taking up precious stove real estate when you are trying to pull together your gravy. In fact, the gravy itself re-heats nicely if you want to make the whole thing in advance.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ pound chanterelle mushrooms (or substitute other wild mushrooms), cleaned and sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped shallot or leek
1 tsp. fresh chopped marjoram or thyme, optional
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
⅓ cup Madeira or sherry
4 Tbsp. butter
½ pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups mushroom broth, poultry broth, vegetable broth, or meat broth

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over a high flame. When the oil is quite hot (shimmering but not smoking), add the sliced chanterelle mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring often, until all the liquid that the mushrooms give off cooks away. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the shallot or leek and the fresh herbs. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the aromatics are tender and the mushrooms are thoroughly cooked and beginning to brown.Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Increase the heat once again to high, then add the Madeira or Sherry. Let the wine bubble away, then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Next, or simultaneously, add the butter to a wide saucepan and heat over a medium-high flame. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the flour. Cook for a couple of minute, moving the ingredients around with your spoon, until the flour begins to brown lightly. Stir in the broth. Bring the gravy to a boil, add in the cooked chanterelle mushrooms, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened to your liking, about 20 minutes.

recipe by Chef Kathryn Yeomans
The Farmer’s Feast

Find the complete blog post and other recipes here (link).