Name: Creamy Garlic Polenta with Wild Mushrooms and Tomato-Fennel Broth
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: Sautéed fresh wild mushrooms and deep-fried basil sprigs for garnishing (optional); ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream; ⅓ cup finely grated aged Asiago cheese or dry Jack cheese; Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground white pepper; 4 cups rich Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil; 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic; ½ cup coarsely chopped mushrooms; 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion; 2 tablespoons olive oil; ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup warm water for 20 minutes; Tomato-Fennel Broth; 1 cup coarse polenta

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

From the Earth to the Table

By John Ash

Published 1995

About

Creamy polenta is a wonderful dish for a chilly fall or winter evening. I’ve surrounded this one with a Tomato-Fennel Broth. You could just as easily use any good fresh vegetable stock or broth.

Ingredients

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup warm water for 20 minutes
2

Method

Drain the porcini and chop. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the porcini, onion, mushrooms, and garlic until very lightly colored. Add the basil and stock and bring to a boil.

Whisk in the polenta slowly to prevent lumps and stir until the mixture returns to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The polenta should be thick and c