Polenta & Mushroom "Pot Pie"

Judy found this recipe by Jessica Battilana in the January 17, 2021, SF Chronicle.

Recipe can be made in 2 steps: mushroom ragout one day, the polenta on day for eating.

Serve with a big green salad.

Serves 4

Mushroom ragout:

2 T unsalted butter

2 large shallots, finely chopped

Pinch kosher salt

20 oz mixed mushrooms (crimini, lion’s mane, chanterelles, pioppini or just buttons) cut, as much as possible, into ¼- to ½-inch squares

2 T brandy, Marsala or dry vermouth

1 t minced fresh thyme

¼ cup crème fraiche or sour cream

Freshly ground black pepper

In large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter, add shallots and pinch of salt, cook, stirring, until shallots are soft but not browned, about 5-minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add enough mushrooms and pinch of salt to the dry pan to cover the bottom. Fry the mushrooms stirring frequently until they begin to brown and soften, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to bowl with shallots. Repeat until all the mushrooms are fried.

Add brandy to pan and stir to loosen any browned bits that have accumulated. Add thyme and cook about 30 sec. Return shallots and mushrooms to pan, remove from heat, stir in crème fraiche, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Polenta:

4 c water

1 t kosher salt

1 c polenta

½ c milk

2 T unsalted butter

1 c grated cheese (suggest cheddar, Parmesan or Gruyere)

In large sauce pan over high heat, bring water with salt to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, then reduce heat so polenta burbles gently. Cook the polenta stirring frequently until polenta is tender and creamy, 25-45 minutes. Stir in the milk, butter and cheese, then season to taste with additional salt. Keep warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent development of a skin on top.

Final steps:

Preheat oven to 350F. Transfer mushrooms to a large pie plate: a 9-inch square, flat-bottomed ceramic casserole dish is ideal. Press into even layer. Carefully spoon the polenta on top, then let stand for 10-minutes for the polenta to firm up a bit. (At this point the dish can be kept at room temperature for up to 2-hours.) Transfer dish to oven and bake for 15 minutes, then set dish under broiler a few inches from heating element and broil until polenta puffs and is lightly browned (be careful not to let it burn), a few minutes. Serve right away.