Crispy Edged Polenta with Creamy Tarragon Mushrooms & Bitter Leaf Salad

Name: Crispy Edged Polenta with Creamy Tarragon Mushrooms & Bitter Leaf Salad
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1 x quantity Punchy Savoury Shallot & Mustard Dressing; 1 stick celery, finely sliced; 30 g (1 oz) almonds, toasted and roughly chopped; 100 ml (3½ fl oz/ scant ½ cup) dry white wine; 100 ml (3½ fl oz/ scant ½ cup) double (heavy) cream; 4 round shallots, finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; Salt and pepper; 1 head radicchio, leaves torn; Leaves from ¼ small bunch of tarragon; Salt and pepper; 300 g (10½ oz) quick cook polenta; 2 tsp salt; 50 g (1¾ oz) strong hard cheese, such as Cheddar; 500 g (1lb 2oz) chestnut (cremini) mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped; 500 g (1lb 2oz) chestnut (cremini) mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped; 15 g (½oz) dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 250ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) hot water; 15 g (½oz) dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 250ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) hot water; 50 g (1¾ oz) strong hard cheese, such as Cheddar; 25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter; Light olive oil, for frying; 500 g (1lb 2oz) chestnut (cremini) mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr

Appears in

Love Vegetables

By Anna Shepherd

Published 2024

About

Garlicky chestnut mushrooms get an extra boost of savouriness with the addition of some dried porcini, which have serious umami energy. Lots of flavour is drawn into the water as the dried porcini rehydrate, so this liquid gets added into the sauce so that none of it is wasted.

Ingredients

For the polenta

300 g (10½ oz) quick cook polenta
2 tsp salt

Vegetarian
Gluten-free

Method

Line a 20 x 30cm (8 x 12in) baking tin with baking parchment.

Bring 1 litre (35fl oz/4¼ cups) of water to the boil in a large saucepan and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking as you do. Add the 2 teaspoons of salt to the pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly to stop the polenta from sticking, for 3–5 minutes until the polenta is no longer mealy. Using a wooden spoon, beat