POLENTA E FUNGHI

POLENTA & MUSHROOMS

This is a typical autumn recipe, to serve as a side dish or with cured meats and cheeses. In Veneto, you can try the delicious chiodini, local mushrooms.

SERVES 8 PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTESCOOKING TIME: 1 HOUR

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) polenta (cornmeal)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) wild mushrooms, or mushrooms of your choice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, halved

1 rosemary stalk

To make the polenta: For 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) polenta, use 4 times its volume in water (2 litres/70 fl oz/8 cups). Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, add the coarse salt and quickly add the polenta in a stream, mixing at the same time with a large wooden spoon to avoid lumps. Be careful of splatter! For a more liquid polenta, add a little more boiling water at the start of the cooking. Stir frequently. Cook on a very low heat until the polenta comes away from the side of the pan. Allow about 1 hour to cook, covered (or according to packet instructions if you are using a quick-cooking polenta).

To clean the mushrooms, immerse them in water twice. Take them out immediately and wipe dry with paper towels. Cut the largest into two or three pieces and slice the porcini, if using. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan with the garlic and rosemary. Add the mushrooms in batches and cook on high heat, without stirring, until the mushrooms have released their water. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine all the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes on low heat. Check the seasoning. Serve on the hot polenta.

NOTE

A thin crust will form on the base of the polenta pan by the end of the cooking time. Don’t try to scrub it off! Soak the pan in water and the crust will come off by itself.

VARIATIONS

You can make a richer polenta by replacing half the water with milk, or by adding mascarpone cheese, or butter and parmesan cheese at the end of the cooking time.