Herb Infused Polenta With Mushroom Ragout Recipes

Steps:

• Place the milk, onion, herbs and garlic in a saucepan and slowly bring almost to the boil. Place the polenta in a large, heavy based saucepan, strain the infused milk onto the polenta, and whisk until blended.
• Stir constantly over moderate heat until the mixture returns to the boil. Reduce heat to very low (use a simmer mat if you have one) and cook, stirring frequently, for 20-30 minutes or until polenta is cooked and thickened.
• Fold in parmesan and butter and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with the ragout.
• Ragout:.
• Heat the oil or butter in a large frypan or wok, and add the mushrooms (and rosemary, if using).
• Stir until begining to brown, then add the remaining herbs. Continue to fry until mushrooms are wilting and browned, then season with salt and pepper and serve with the polenta. If you have verjuice, you can use it to deglaze the pan and then drizzle the juices over before serving.

Steps:

• For polenta:
• Generously butter 13x9x1- inch baking sheet. Bring milk, broth, and bay leaf to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove saucepan from heat; cover and let steep 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Discard bay leaf. Bring liquid to boil. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until polenta is very thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in Comté cheese and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer polenta to prepared 13x9x1-inch baking sheet. Using wet hands, press polenta evenly over sheet to edges. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours. Cut polenta into 20 squares. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• For mushroom ragout:
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add all mushrooms and sauté until tender and browned, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add shallots and balsamic vinegar; sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Season lightly to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Rewarm mushrooms in large skillet over medium-high heat until heated through. Add broth and simmer 1 minute. Stir in crème fraîche and half of parsley. Season mushroom ragout to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add polenta squares to skillet and cook until browned, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven while cooking remaining polenta squares.
• Arrange 2 polenta squares on each plate. Top each with warm mushroom ragout; sprinkle with grated Comté cheese and remaining parsley and serve.
• MORE INFO:
• Comté is a semi-firm, Gruyère-style cow's-milk cheese made primarily in France's Franche-Comté region. It adds great flavor to this recipe and would also be delicious on a cheese platter. Comté is available at some supermarkets, cheese shops, and specialty foods stores.
• *Polenta can be found at some supermarkets, as well as at natural foods stores and Italian markets. If polenta is unavailable, substitute an equal amount of regular yellow cornmeal and cook it about half as long.

Steps:

• FOR THE POLENTA
• Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle the cornmeal on top while mixing it in with a whisk, and stir in the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid to prevent splattering, and cook gently for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is cooked and has the consistency of a creamy puree. Set aside, covered.
• FOR THE RAGOUT
• Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan. When they are hot, add the onion and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and sauté over high heat for about 2 minutes, until the liquid emerges from them and evaporates. Add the garlic, tomatoes, corn, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a strong boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• To serve, ladle the polenta into the center of four soup plates and pour the mushroom ragout on top of and around it. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.

Steps:

• Brush an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan lightly with oil. Pour soft polenta into pan; smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled and firm to the touch, about 3 hours and up to 3 days.
• Meanwhile, make mushroom ragout: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until mushrooms release their juices, about 10 minutes.
• Uncover pan; raise heat to high. Cook, stirring often, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add rosemary, tomato paste, and 2 cups water. Simmer until sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
• Meanwhile, heat broiler. Invert polenta onto a cutting board: cut into 12 to 14 slices, each 1/2 inch thick. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Arrange slices in a single layer; brush with oil. Broil 4 inches from heat, without turning, until golden and browning in spots, 10 to 20 minutes. Divide among plates; top with mushroom ragout, and sprinkle with goat cheese. Serve with Wilted Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes, if desired.

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 150ml warm water. Set aside for 20 mins, then drain and squeeze, reserving the soaking liquid. Heat the butter in a large frying pan. When sizzling, add the shallot and cook for a few mins until soft. Add the garlic and thyme leaves, cook for 1 min more, then turn up the heat and add the soaked mushrooms. After 1 min, add all the other mushrooms and fry over a very high heat for 5 mins until soft. Splash in the red wine and boil rapidly for 1 min. Pour in the stock and reserved mushroom liquid, and simmer for 15 mins until you have a thickened stew. Turn off the heat.
• For the polenta, bring the milk to the boil with 500ml water, the bay and thyme. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins, then fish out the herbs and bring back to the boil. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking steadily. Cook for 1 min until thickened, then stir in the butter and Parmesan. Spoon a 'crater' of polenta onto a baking tray and fill with the ragout. Top with slices of Taleggio, place under a hot grill until melting and oozy, then let everyone help themselves.

Steps:

• Mushroom Ragout:.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
• Add garlic, shallot, parsley, basil and dried pepper flakes and saute until garlic and shallots are a light yellow color (about 3 min).
• Add mushrooms and toss.
• Pour wine or water over mushroom mixture and season with salt and pepper.
• Turn down heat to low, cover and stir occasionaally until mushrooms are reduced and water has been completely absorbed (about 20 min).
• While mushrooms are simmering start the polenta.
• Stir in fontina cheese and stir until cheese has melted.
• Polenta:.
• Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a dutchoven and add the chopped onion and saute until transulsant.
• Pour in the 3 cups of broth add the salt and bring to a boil.
• Pour in the cornmeal stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes stirring often.
• Stir in cheese.
• Quickly turn into a large shallow bowl.
• Pour mushroom mixture over top, and sprinkle with additional parsley.
• Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in skillet large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add onions and cook until they are soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the wild and domestic mushrooms with the garlic, marjoram and thyme and cook until mushrooms soften and release their juices.
• Meanwhile in another skillet, heat remaining oil and saute peppers until soft.
• Crush tomatoes in your fingers before adding to peppers, with tomato liquid, and cook over low heat until mushroom mixture is ready.
• When mushrooms are softened, add the wine and cook over medium heat to slightly reduce liquid.
• Combine contents of both pans and use to top polenta. This can be made a day ahead.
• To serve, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Divide both polenta and sauce in half. Use two 10-by-15-inch glass baking dishes. Using half of polenta and half of sauce, spoon a third of sauce in bottom of one baking dish . Arrange half of polenta slices over the sauce. Spoon another third of sauce over polenta. Top with remaining polenta and then with remaining sauce. Repeat with second dish and remaining ingredients.