Best Soft Polenta With Mushroom Ragu Recipes

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CREAMY POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS



Creamy Polenta With Mushrooms image

Who knows who first mixed soy sauce and butter and discovered the pleasures the combination provides. Try the mixture on warm white rice, a steaming pile of greens or an old sneaker - regardless, the taste is a sublime velvet of sweet and salty, along with a kind of pop we call umami, a fifth taste beyond sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Soy butter provides warmth and luxury, elegance without pomp. For this recipe, we've adapted a dish that was on the menu at the chef Chris Jaeckle's All'onda, in Manhattan: a mixture of soy and butter with mushroom stock to pour over polenta and sautéed mushrooms. The result is a dinner of comfort and joy.

Provided by Sam Sifton

Categories     weekday, appetizer, main course, side dish

Time 1h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 cups minus 3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 3/4 cups polenta or cornmeal
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, or to taste
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, or to taste
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats, divided
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, wild or cultivated, sliced thin
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

  • For the polenta, bring 4 1/2 cups water and the milk to a high simmer in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add salt. Pour the cornmeal slowly into the liquid, stirring with a wire whisk to prevent clumping. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Turn heat to low. Cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. If the polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep the polenta soft enough to stir.
  • Add the butter to pot, and stir well. Add the Parmesan, if using. Taste for seasoning. Set the covered saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water, and keep warm for up to an hour or so.
  • Meanwhile, put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl, and cover with about 1/2 cup boiling water. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and pat dry, then chop roughly. Reserve the mushroom stock.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over high heat until it has melted. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
  • Add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and thyme to the pan, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, turning until browned. Add about 1/4 cup of the mushroom stock to deglaze the surface, using a wooden spoon to scrape at the browned bits. Allow the stock to reduce by half, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, followed by the soy sauce, cream and olive oil. Allow mixture to cook until it thickens a little, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper, if desired.
  • Put the polenta in a warmed bowl, then top with mushrooms and the sauce. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 382, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 40 grams, Fat 22 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 286 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 1 gram

POLENTA WITH MUSHROOM RAGOUT



Polenta with Mushroom Ragout image

Provided by Jacques Pépin

Categories     Garlic     Mushroom     Onion     Tomato     Side     Sauté     Dinner     Cornmeal     Fall     Summer     Winter     Boil     Wheat/Gluten-Free     Tree Nut Free     Soy Free     No Sugar Added

Yield 4 as a first course or side dish, 2 as a main course

Number Of Ingredients 17

Polenta
2 cups water
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Mushroom Ragout
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
5 ounces mushrooms (cultivated, wild, or a combination), trimmed, cleaned, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped (2 teaspoons)
4 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/4 cups)
2 small ears corn, husked and kernels cut off (1 cup)
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-salt canned chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Steps:

  • FOR THE POLENTA
  • Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle the cornmeal on top while mixing it in with a whisk, and stir in the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid to prevent splattering, and cook gently for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the polenta is cooked and has the consistency of a creamy puree. Set aside, covered.
  • FOR THE RAGOUT
  • Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan. When they are hot, add the onion and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and sauté over high heat for about 2 minutes, until the liquid emerges from them and evaporates. Add the garlic, tomatoes, corn, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a strong boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • To serve, ladle the polenta into the center of four soup plates and pour the mushroom ragout on top of and around it. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.

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