Polenta Gratin with Mushrooms and Fontina

Circle B Kitchen

Adapted from the L.A. Times

This was an absolutely heavenly dish. But that didn’t stop me from making a few changes. The original recipe called for shitake,shimeji and crimini mushrooms, but use your favorites or any that you have handy. The original recipe also called for fresh rosemary which I didn’t have on hand, so instead of adding the salt and rosemary to the mushrooms, I substituted a teaspoon of my Tuscan Herb Salt which includes lots of garlic and rosemary. It was divine.

1 cup polenta

4 cups water

1/2 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

10-12 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini and Portobello)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 sprig fresh rosemary (I used 1 tsp Tuscan Herb Salt)

1/4 pound Fontina cheese, sliced

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the polenta in a 2-quart gratin dish, and stir in the water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bake for 45 minutes. Stir in the milk, 2 tablespoons butter and the parmesan cheese, and return the polenta to the oven for 15 more minutes.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with one-fourth teaspoon salt, or to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms give up their moisture, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the rosemary and continue cooking until the mushrooms are dry, 3 to 4 more minutes.

3. When the polenta is done, taste and add more salt if necessary. Scatter the cooked mushrooms over the top of the polenta and then tear the soft Fontina slices into shreds and distribute them over the top of the mushrooms. Return the pan to the oven until the cheese has melted and begins to brown, about 5 minutes.