Polenta e Funghi
Polenta & mushrooms
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- 375g (13 1/4 ounces) pre cooked polenta (cornmeal)
- 1kg (2.2 pounds) fresh mushrooms
- 500g (1,1 pound) chopped tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 100ml (4 fl oz - 1/2 C) red wine
- 2 tablespoons dried chives
- 1 little young onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- A bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt
- Fresh sausage (if you want)
- Time:
preparation: 10 minutes
plus time for cleaning mushrooms
cooking time: 50 minutes - Difficulty:
easy recipe - Nutrition Facts (amount per serving):
Calories: 484 (kCal) 25 % GDA (*) - 2027 (kJ)
Protein: 19.2 (g) 39 % GDA
Total fat: 11.7 (g) 17 % GDA
Total carbohydrate: 75.8 (g) 29 % GDA
Sugars: 7.8 (g) 9 % GDA
Polenta-and-mushroom recipe
Clean the mushrooms. Use a mushrooms brush or an old and soft toothbrush to brush off any earth; then wipe them with
damp kitchen paper. Mushrooms shouldn't be washed before using but if they are very earthy, plunge them into a
bowl of warm water quickly, drain and dry immediately. Quarter your mushrooms or slice them according to their size. Use a
stainless steel knife for this operation: other material could discolor mushrooms. Preparation time is very long; you
need about an hour.
Prepare the sauce. In a large saucepan put all the ingredients: the olive oil, chopped tomatoes, aromatic herbs, onion, wine
and mushrooms (sausage in pieces, if you want). Season to taste with salt and cook over a gentle flame, half-covered.
Do not add water! Mushrooms produce water; add it only if it's necessary in a second time. Cooking time is about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile you can prepare polenta. Bring a saucepan (preferably in copper) with 2 liters (4 pints - 8 C) of water
to the boil, season with salt and sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring briskly to prevent lumps from forming. Cook slowly,
stirring continuously, for at least 40 minutes.
When the polenta is ready, spread it out over a large wooden board. You should cut it with a length of string, after
letting it cool a minute or so. Arrange the slices on the dishes and lay mushrooms with their cooking juice on the top.
You can also use precooked cornmeal (or quick-cook polenta) for reducing cooking time.
Note
- - Remember: purchase them from a reputable dealer! do not pick them unless you are accompanied by an expert mycologist or guide!
- - You could choose cultivated mushrooms too but the flavour isn't the same.
- - You can also use frozen mushrooms (600g - 1.3 pound); you have to add them to the other ingredients without thawing them.
- - As you have read we usually combine all the ingredients without frying the ingredients in the olive oil. Your liver will thank you if you follow our advice. Indeed in some cases, we add the olive oil once all the ingredients are cooked to maintain its nutritional properties.
- - There is another version of polenta and mushrooms. Fry lightly the onion and bay leaf in the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, stir very well and then add the tomtoes, wine and marjoram. Continue cooking, stirring now and then. Add the parsley and chives at the end.
- - If you want you can add some pieces of fresh sausage to the ingredients. We calculated nutrition facts without the sausage.
What's the right wine ?
Our suggestion is: Terre di Franciacorta Rosso (wine from Lombardy)
The author Loretta Sebastiani lives in Italy (IT)
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