Best Creamy Polenta Mushroom Ragout Recipes

CREAMY POLENTA & MUSHROOM RAGOUT

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.

WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT OVER CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, soak the dried porcini in 1 cup warm water until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove, squeeze gently, and chop coarsely. Discard water, and set mushrooms aside.
• In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add shallot and garlic, and cook until slightly soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add porcini, and saute 1 minute. Add cremini, and cook 1 minute more. Turn up heat to medium high, and add remaining mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add chopped rosemary, and stir gently until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and carefully add Cognac (you'll have some flames). Return pan to heat, and allow the alcohol to cook off, about 1 minute. Serve hot over creamy polenta.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT

Steps:

• MAKE THE RAGOUT In a large, deep skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add half of the shallots and garlic and all of the chanterelles and oyster mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 6 minutes. Scrape the mushrooms onto a plate. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the remaining shallots and garlic along with the shiitake mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally until softened and golden, about 6 minutes. Return all of the mushrooms to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the rich chicken stock and thyme sprigs to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs. MAKE THE POLENTA In a large saucepan, combine the milk, stock and butter and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thick, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream, mascarpone, herbs and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the polenta onto plates, top with the mushroom ragout and serve right away, passing more grated Parmesan at the table. NOTES Rich chicken stock is sold in the freezer section of many supermarkets.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM RAGOUT

Steps:

• FOR RAGOUT: Stir fry ground turkey sausage till cooked through and remove. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil till soft- about 6 mins. Add red wine and stir 3 mins. ADD tomato sauce, mirin, brown sugar, bay leaf oregano, red pepper,chicken stock, cooked sausage and juices. Bring to boil and then simmer 30mins. Meantime, make the polenta: Bring milk amd chicken stock to boil. Then lower to simmer and add polenta and stir till thick and creamy. Add butter and cheese. Remove from heat. Spoon into bowls and top with ragout