White polenta with mushroom sauce

Name: White polenta with mushroom sauce
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3/4 cup (180ml) milk; 1 cup (150g) white polenta; 15g dried porcini mushrooms, chopped; 1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil; 200g small portobello mushrooms, trimmed, thickly sliced; 400g Swiss brown mushrooms; 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 75g unsalted butter; 180g taleggio cheese, rind removed, diced; 2 tbs coarsely chopped tarragon leaves; 2 tbs coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon; 2 tbs chopped roasted hazelnuts

Rate now

Jump to recipe

by Matt Preston

delicious. senior editor

Jul 26, 2019

This dish includes ingredients that Matt considers to be the 'soul food' of Australia.

3/4 cup (180ml) milk
1 cup (150g) white polenta
15g dried porcini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
200g small portobello mushrooms, trimmed, thickly sliced
400g Swiss brown mushrooms
4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
2 garlic cloves, crushed
75g unsalted butter
180g taleggio cheese, rind removed, diced

Tarragon gremolata

2 tbs coarsely chopped tarragon leaves
2 tbs coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbs chopped roasted hazelnuts

Method

1.

Place milk and 5 cups (1.25L) water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Whisking continuously, pour in the polenta in a steady stream. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes or until smooth and thick.
2.

Meanwhile, place the dried porcini in a heatproof bowl with 1 cup (250ml) boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
3.

Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add portobello mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to a plate. Place another 2 tbs of oil in the pan, add half the Swiss brown mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining 2 tbs oil and Swiss brown mushroooms. Return all the Swiss brown mushrooms to the pan. Add the thyme, garlic and 25g butter and cook, tossing, for 2 minutes, then add portobello mushrooms, porcini and strained soaking water and season. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and sauce has reduced by two-thirds.
4.

For the gremolata, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Add the taleggio to the polenta, as well as remaining butter and 100ml water, and stir until the cheese has melted and everything is combined. Season to taste. Serve topped with the mushroom sauce and sprinkled with gremolata.

Rate now

Recipe Notes

Tips: To speed up the process, you can use store-bought polenta. It may not be white, but if you’re short of time you can have this recipe on the table in 20 minutes. To make this dish more meaty, serve it with beef sausages or barbecued steak.