Ingredients:
16 ounces of mushrooms (I used button mushrooms instead of the recommended mushroom mix, and I added an additional 3 ounces of mushrooms because a 13-ounce amount as suggested by the book is not readily available)
2 tbsp butter
2 minced garlic cloves
5 whole fresh sage leaves (i.e., don't slice them)
1/8 cup white cooking wine (see my commentary below)
Polenta
*1 package of instant polenta (I like Bellino brand, which only takes 3 minutes)
*4 ounces of shredded cheese (I used a blend of freshly-grated Parmesan and pre-shredded Italian
mix from Crystal Farms, which I think has six different cheeses in it)--plus extra for topping at the end
*4 tbsp butter
1. Slice the mushrooms. In a large pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat before adding the garlic, sage, and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper and cook for about 4-6 minutes (until nice and soft). Pour in the white cooking wine and stir, then simmer for an additional minute or two.
2. For the polenta, follow the directions on the package as to how best to cook it. Add the butter and cheese when it is finished, plus season it to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, put a portion of polenta on a plate and top as you like with mushrooms and extra cheese, if desired.
Note: The polenta has a tendency to bubble a lot, so you should use a nice big pot to prevent any hot mush from spilling over or coming at you and burning you. You should also use a spoon with as long of a handle as you can find, as this will reduce the risk of your getting hot polenta spattered on your hands as you stir. (Aside: stirring the polenta is also a great arm workout.) Also, since the polenta takes practically no time to make, you should do that part last.
First of all, I am a complete dork because I forgot to add the white cooking wine like I was going to! I must admit that while this dish was very satisfying, now that I think about it, it was missing that X factor that would have really made it a fantastic dish. Needless to say, the next time I make this (probably in the winter because polenta is really filling), I will definitely add the white cooking wine. Anyway, if you make it sometime soon, please use the wine and tell me how it turns out. I've been a bit scatterbrained lately trying to prepare for vet school--we just got our list of books, equipment, and clothing--so my head's not really in the game.
I would say the star of this dish is really the polenta. It has a wonderful creaminess to it from the butter and cheese that pairs very well with the mushrooms, which I thought were well-flavored from the fragrant fresh sage. I'm assuming that the wine would add a tang to the dish to balance the creamy flavor of the polenta, but that's only me speaking from experience. When I was little, I distinctly remember not liking polenta at all. I think it was a texture thing. Probably the same reason I dislike small-grain couscous to this day. However, I have found that when it is seasoned correctly, polenta can be quite delicious. Serving suggestions include chilling it in logs or loaves before slicing it and frying it up, then topping with whatever you wish (like sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed spinach, olives, toasted pine nuts, etc.); as well as eating this same dish with a side of Italian sausage or beef cutlets instead of the chicken. Overall, polenta is a very versatile food that will fill you up without making you feel stuffed (and we all know how torturous it is to feel stuffed...first world problems, right?).
Mom served this dish with some lemony chicken and a salad, and I must say that the lemon in the chicken was a wonderful contrast to the polenta, especially given my forgetfulness in re: the wine. Overall, it was a very good meal to make on a busy weekday evening when the temperature was near 90 (although I used the stove, the meal didn't take too long to make, so the kitchen got a little bit warm, but not too bad).
As far as any personal growth with this dish is concerned, I would say I did well to just give in to the butter. I hesitate sometimes because it is so, so bad for you, and I thought about cooking the mushrooms in grapeseed or olive oil instead of the butter as well as skipping the butter in the polenta, but I thought, what the heck, I'll just follow the recipe as written. A little butter now and then never killed anyone. And I must say that the results are indeed delicious and wonderful. However, for the same reason, I would not make this dish everyday. Perhaps in the winter I will make polenta and top it with beef stew and the mushrooms (just so I have an excuse to re-do the part with the wine), as Mom suggested at dinner. I am also learning that it is okay to write in cookbooks. Before, I would never have deigned to defile something so precious as a book with permanent writing, but since I own the books and never intend to get rid of them, I figured my own personal notes probably wouldn't be so bad. After all, I amend so many of the recipes that it's really worth it, especially for the British recipes that I have to convert to American measurements. I also sometimes leave notes as to how to serve the dish or how to improve it for next time, which helps me avoid making the same mistake twice.
In other news, we are picking up our first farm share tomorrow, so I can't wait to cook with it and share with you the herbaceous delights that we receive. Stay tuned, chefs! And in the mean time, happy eating!
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| It's a good thing when you can't even see the dish because of all the cheese it's under. Photo enhanced with Instagram filtering. |
