Recipe

Cheesy polenta with fried mushrooms

All I can say about this is yum! But make sure you get the timing right – call everyone to the table so you can serve the polenta while it's soft and flowing.

Sep 30, 2009 2:00pm
  • 40 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
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Ingredients

Cheesy polenta with fried mushrooms
  • 12 medium-sized vine tomatoes
  • sea salt
  • few pinches caster sugar
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 8 large portobello mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • a handful of small trimmed rocket leaves, to serve
Polenta
  • 300 millilitre milk
  • 1 litre water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 250 gram ‘instant’ polenta
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 50克的屁股er
  • freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
  • 1 cup grated vintage cheddar
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Method

Cheesy polenta with fried mushrooms
  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 210°C (fan force).
  • 2
    Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them cut side up in a shallow ovenproof dish lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar and black pepper, and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
  • 3
    Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have collapsed and the edges are starting to char.
  • 4
    Wipe the mushrooms caps with a clean damp cloth, then slice the mushrooms thickly into 4-5 pieces.
  • 5
    Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, drop in the butter and as soon as it sizzles, add the mushrooms. Let them brown without stirring, then turn them over with tongs and brown the other side.
  • 6
    Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, stirring, then turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
  • 7
    Put 250ml of the milk in a deep saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. Add the salt, then shake in the polenta from a height, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
  • 8
    Once all the polenta is added, turn the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, giving 3-4 good stirs every 20 seconds or so. (Polenta splatters as it cooks, so protect your hand with a tea towel or oven glove.) Whip in the extra milk and the cream.
  • 9
    Take the polenta off the heat and whip in the butter, a little nutmeg and the cheddar and parmesan. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Immediately tip into heated bowls and top with the mushrooms, tomatoes and rocket. Serve immediately.

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