Degustation Of Wild Mushrooms With Soft Polenta Recipes

Steps:

• For the polenta, bring 4 1/2 cups water and the milk to a high simmer in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add salt. Pour the cornmeal slowly into the liquid, stirring with a wire whisk to prevent clumping. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn heat to low. Cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. If the polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep the polenta soft enough to stir.
• Add the butter to pot, and stir well. Add the Parmesan, if using. Taste for seasoning. Set the covered saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water, and keep warm for up to an hour or so.
• Meanwhile, put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl, and cover with about 1/2 cup boiling water. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and pat dry, then chop roughly. Reserve the mushroom stock.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over high heat until it has melted. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
• Add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and thyme to the pan, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, turning until browned. Add about 1/4 cup of the mushroom stock to deglaze the surface, using a wooden spoon to scrape at the browned bits. Allow the stock to reduce by half, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, followed by the soy sauce, cream and olive oil. Allow mixture to cook until it thickens a little, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper, if desired.
• Put the polenta in a warmed bowl, then top with mushrooms and the sauce. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• To make the polenta, place it and 3 1/2 cups water in a heavy 2 1/2- or 3-quart saucepan with a lid, and stir to combine. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the fine polenta particles remain suspended and evenly distributed in the water without continuous stirring. This should take 5 to 8 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, cover partly and cook, stirring often, until polenta is soft and holds its shape on a spoon, about 35 minutes. Whisk in salt after 20 minutes. When polenta is done, whisk in pepper, butter and Parmesan.
• While polenta is cooking, pan-cook mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a wide, heavy skillet or a wok. Add mushrooms and cook, tossing and stirring often, until they sear and begin to sweat, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat under mushrooms to medium. Add another tablespoon oil and the shallots and cook, stirring, until just tender, 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary or sage. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until mushrooms are soft, about 5 more minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until it is no longer visible in the pan. Add parsley, taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat.
• As soon as polenta is soft, spoon into wide bowls or onto plates. Make a depression in the middle with the back of a spoon and add a spoonful of hot tomato sauce. Top with a spoonful of mushrooms, sprinkle with Parmesan if desired, and serve.

Steps:

• To make the polenta, place 5 cups of water and the salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta very slowly, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and lower the heat so that the polenta is just sputtering occasionally. Cook, stirring constantly, until the polenta is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the butter, remove from heat, cover and set in a warm place while you cook the mushrooms.
• To make the mushrooms, clean each variety and remove the stem if it is fibrous. Slice any that are very large, but try to maintain their distinctive shapes. Place 2 small saute pans over medium heat and add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to each. When the butter is melted, add one variety of mushroom and 1 tablespoon of shallots to each. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes depending on variety.
• Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a warmed serving platter, placing them in piles around the edge of the platter. Cover with foil. Wipe out the skillets, add more butter and oil to each, return them to the heat and cook the remaining mushrooms in the same manner.
• Place a generous amount of the polenta in the middle of the platter and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Bring broth, milk, garlic, and butter to a boil in a thick bottomed pot. Reduce heat to a simmer and whisk in cornmeal, cooking while stirring with wooden spoon for about ten minutes. As it thickens reduce heat and add sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan. Remove from heat and add basil. Quickly spread on a cookie sheet to 1/3-inch thickness and refrigerate. Polenta should remain in refrigeration at least 1 hour, or as long as 3 days prior to final preparation. (Once cool, it should be covered for safe storage.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove polenta from the refrigerator and cut out rounds with cookie cutter about 1 1/2-inches. Saute polenta rounds in nonstick pan until brown on both sides. Remove from heat. Lay polenta rounds on cookie sheet and top with Wild Mushroom Saute. Bake for 5 minutes, (heat fondue in saucepot or microwave and stir in truffle oil if desired) Drizzle with Locatelli Fondue. Garnish with chives and white truffle slice.
• Heat saute pan and add butter, shallot and garlic, cook 1 minute and add mushrooms, salt and pepper. Continue cooking about 2 minutes, remove from heat, and allow to cool. White mushrooms can be used if others are not available.
• Saute shallot in butter in heavy bottomed pot for 1 minute, add white wine, and reduce by half. Add chicken broth and cream and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes, (too high a heat, will result in a boil over mess!!!) Add roux, whisking constantly so not to lump. As sauce thickens reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the Locatelli until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Fold in white truffle oil, if desired. Put Fondue in squeeze bottle or resealable plastic bag with corner cut off, for easy drizzling.

Steps:

• Mushrooms:
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high. When the olive oil is hot add 2 sprigs of rosemary and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the rosemary and add the shallots.
• Cook the shallots until translucent, about 4 minutes, then add the mushrooms and saute until they release their liquid, about 8 minutes. Stir in the white wine bring to a simmer about 3 minutes.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes. Transfer the mushrooms to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.
• Polenta:
• Heat the olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to boil, then add the oregano and basil. Slowly pour in the polenta and stir constantly until the polenta thickens. Stir in the heavy cream and fontina and mix until you have a smooth and creamy texture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the polenta to a serving dish and garnish with Parmesan and chives.
• Shrimp:
• Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
• Devein the shrimp by cutting down the back with scissors and removing the vein. Leave the shrimp in the shell. Use your fingers to separate the shell from sides of the shrimp and add them to the marinade. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour. Set the grill temperature for medium-high and let it heat up. Put the shrimp on the grill and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Reduce the remaining marinade on a side burner in a small pan. Remove the shrimp to a platter. Drizzle with the reduced marinade and garnish with scallions.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, season with salt and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each butter and fresh thyme and 1 minced shallot; cook 30 seconds. Meanwhile, simmer 3 cups mushroom broth and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Whisk in 3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta; stir until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Top with the mushrooms, chopped parsley, more Parmesan and pepper.