Polenta is a dish that we have forgotten in Greece, although we used to love it a lot during the first post-war decades. Polenta is a coarsely ground cornmeal that is close to semolina and is ideal for preparing a nutritious porridge or a “purée” as a side-dish. In Romania, I’ve seen it being served with a scoop as a side with chicken, while in Italy as a main dish.
You can find polenta in most of the super markets and you may easily prepare it to accompany meat or vegetables dishes. Today, I prepare a dish with polenta and sautéed mushrooms.
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Ingredients
For the polenta-
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- 2 cups of polenta ,
- 8 cups of vegetable broth ,
- Salt upon taste ,
- 2 tablespoons of butter ,
- ¾ of a cup grated parmesan cheese
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- 2 tablespoons of olive oil ,
- 400 g mushrooms of our own taste, sliced (you may use a combination of Champignon, Pleurotus and Portobello) ,
- Coarse salt ,
- Freshly ground pepper ,
- 4 tablespoons of butter without salt, cut into pieces ,
- 2 sprigs of thyme ,
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
Instructions
For the polenta-
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- Add the broth to a pan and bring to a boil. ,
- Salt upon taste. ,
- Add the polenta and stir often with a ladle to prevent the pot’s bottom from catching fire. ,
- Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often for 25 minutes. ,
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter, stirring until it has melted. ,
- Finally, add the parmesan cheese and stir. Parmesan is a salty cheese, so you have to be careful with the salt. ,
- Allow some time to set so the cheese and the butter have melted. ,
- Transfer to a serving plate.
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- Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and bring it to medium-high heat. ,
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté them for 3 minutes. ,
- Season with salt and pepper, flip the mushrooms and keep stirring. ,
- Reduce the heat so they will not stick. ,
- Keep sautéing until they have turned golden brown, about 5 more minutes. ,
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, the thyme and the garlic. ,
- Remove them from the heat and spoon them on top of the polenta. ,
- Optionally, garnish with spring onions and cherry tomatoes.
