Polenta e Funghi
Soft, golden cornmeal polenta served warm and topped with a rich, fragrant stew of fresh and dried wild forest mushrooms.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 420 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-based saucepan
- •Large frying pan
- •Whisk
- •Wooden spoon
- •Fine mesh sieve
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- fat
- 13 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 11 g
- calories
- 420 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Soak the dried porcini in 250 ml of warm water for 20 minutes until softened.
- 2
Strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a fine sieve to remove grit, reserving the clear broth.
- 3
Squeeze the soaked porcini dry and roughly chop them.
- 4
Bring 1.3 litres of water to a boil in a heavy saucepan and stir in 8 grams of salt.
- 5
Pour the cornmeal in a steady, thin stream while whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
- 6
Switch to a wooden spoon, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring frequently.
- 7
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the shallot and garlic until soft and sweet.
- 8
Add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms, cooking briskly until they release their liquid and begin to brown.
- 9
Pour in the white wine, allowing it to bubble and reduce by half.
- 10
Stir in the tomato paste and reserved mushroom broth, simmering gently for 15 minutes until thickened.
- 11
Beat the butter into the cooked polenta until glossy and smooth, adjusting salt if necessary.
- 12
Spoon the soft polenta into shallow bowls, ladle the mushroom stew over the top, and scatter with fresh parsley.
Chef's tips
Pour the polenta flour very slowly at the start to avoid clumps. Do not wash fresh wild mushrooms under running water; brush them clean with a damp cloth to preserve their texture.
Ingredient substitutions
- fresh porcini → brown chestnut mushrooms combined with extra rehydrated dried porcini
- farina di mais bramata → medium-grind yellow cornmeal
Storage
Store leftover polenta and mushroom sauce in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat the polenta in a pan with a splash of hot water or milk, whisking over low heat until creamy.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Dumping cornmeal into the boiling water all at once, which creates stubborn flour lumps.
- •Discarding the porcini soaking liquid, which holds intense earthy flavour.
- •Cooking polenta over high heat, which causes fierce splattering and undercooked grains.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Polenta e Funghi?
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