Creamy Polenta With Balsamic Mushrooms Recipes

BAKED POLENTA WITH BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place mushrooms in a large baking dish, gill-side up. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over mushrooms. Crush thyme between your fingers; sprinkle over mushrooms.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate using tongs. Leave any accumulated juices in the baking dish.
• Bring water and half-and-half to a boil in a large pot. Add polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add Swiss cheese, sea salt, and pepper; stir until cheese is melted.
• Pour hot polenta into the same baking dish used to bake the mushrooms. Smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange mushrooms, gill-side up, in the polenta. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with truffle salt.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring vegetable stock, heavy cream, thyme, and rosemary to a boil.
• Remove the herbs from the stock and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir the polenta into the hot stock and cook for approx. 10 - 15 min. on low heat, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, clean and quarter mushrooms. Finely slice onion.
• Fry onion and mushrooms in some vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to reduce for approx. 1 - 2 min. Top the polenta with the balsamic mushrooms and sauce.

BAKED POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS & BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Brush the mushroom caps gently with a clean cloth to wipe away any dirt. Arrange them, underside up, on a sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, until tender. Set aside. Lower the oven to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the polenta. Pour the stock and half-and-half into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and, while whisking constantly, slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the boiling liquid. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring almost constantly with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is thick and smooth. Off the heat, stir in the mascarpone, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour into an 8 x 11 x 2-inch baking dish.
• Arrange the mushrooms, underside up, in one layer over the polenta. Sprinkle on the Gorgonzola and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the polenta is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.

MUSHROOM POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, season with salt and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each butter and fresh thyme and 1 minced shallot; cook 30 seconds. Meanwhile, simmer 3 cups mushroom broth and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Whisk in 3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta; stir until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Top with the mushrooms, chopped parsley, more Parmesan and pepper.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• In medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 1 cup cream, milk and salt. Bring to a low simmer. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. , Pour polenta into a 3-quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Cook, covered, on low for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring vinegar and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1/3 cup. Just before serving, stir cheese and the remaining cream and butter into polenta. To serve, drizzle with balsamic glaze.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• For the polenta, bring 4 1/2 cups water and the milk to a high simmer in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add salt. Pour the cornmeal slowly into the liquid, stirring with a wire whisk to prevent clumping. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn heat to low. Cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. If the polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep the polenta soft enough to stir.
• Add the butter to pot, and stir well. Add the Parmesan, if using. Taste for seasoning. Set the covered saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water, and keep warm for up to an hour or so.
• Meanwhile, put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl, and cover with about 1/2 cup boiling water. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and pat dry, then chop roughly. Reserve the mushroom stock.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over high heat until it has melted. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
• Add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and thyme to the pan, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, turning until browned. Add about 1/4 cup of the mushroom stock to deglaze the surface, using a wooden spoon to scrape at the browned bits. Allow the stock to reduce by half, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, followed by the soy sauce, cream and olive oil. Allow mixture to cook until it thickens a little, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper, if desired.
• Put the polenta in a warmed bowl, then top with mushrooms and the sauce. Serve immediately.

EASY, OVEN-BAKED POLENTA WITH BALSAMIC CREMINI MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Place a large, oven-proof pot over medium-high heat (I used a 4 qt. All-Clad pot). Add the water, the milk, and one tablespoon of the butter. Bring this to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and stir to melt the butter. Gradually add the cornmeal, whisking steadily to incorporate (this initial stir is key to prevent clumps from forming). Bring the mixture to a boil, immediately cover the pot with a lid, and transfer to the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 325°F until the polenta is tender and soft, about 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove the pot from the oven, stir in the second tablespoon of butter, cover again and let it stand for 5 minutes. Gradually add 4 oz. of the grated Parmesan, whisking briefly until the cheese has melted and is well incorporated. Check the consistency and the flavor, then cover and let it sit until ready to serve.
• While the polenta is in the oven, prep the ingredients for the balsamic mushrooms. First, clean the mushrooms and cut them into one-inch pieces. Make sure that the mushrooms are completely dry before cooking. Slice the shallot and cut the garlic into slivers.
• Set a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and "dry-sauté" them for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan often, until they release most of their moisture.
• Add the olive oil and butter to the skillet and toss to combine. Next, add the shallots, the salt and pepper, and cook until the shallots start to soften. Lastly, add the garlic and the thyme and cook a few minutes more until everything is well caramelized.
• Stir the sugar into the balsamic vinegar and then drizzle the mixture over the mushrooms. Toss well to coat and let them cool slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Divide the polenta among four bowls, top each with the balsamic mushrooms, more Parmesan cheese, and a good drizzle of your best olive oil. Garnish with some fresh parsley and serve!