Roasted mushrooms combine with polenta and Parmesan to create a creamy, earthy, cheesy vegetarian meal. Recipe below.
THE OTHER DAY, SOCIAL MEDIA OFFERED ME A VIDEO of someone making what he called Mushroom Polenta Bake. It was one of those super short, super telegraphic videos, the sort of airy thing that breezes past the nonsense side of cooking—measurements, timing, a lot of the ingredients—in favor of a quick, charming impression. But, as with so many of these sort-of-cooking videos, the information may have been ridiculous, but the visuals were alluring—so very alluring.
A quick Internet search showed us dozens of recipes along the same lines—a base of polenta, topped with roasted mushrooms, and laced with plenty of lovely Parmesan. A great dish for a quick dinner or a weekend lunch. This is our take.
Polenta is a northern Italian dish, often served as a creamy porridge, usually made from coarsely ground yellow corn. It can also be cooled into a loaf that can be sliced and baked, fried or grilled. You can seek out ground polenta or use medium- or coarse-ground yellow cornmeal, which we most often do. Don’t use finely ground cornmeal. As The Kitchn says, it has “too fine of a consistency and will give the finished dish a pasty texture.”
When choosing mushrooms, go with what you love, or, alternatively, what you have on hand. We had just bought two pounds of basic white buttons that were on sale. That’s what we went with, and they were delicious. A combination of mushrooms—oyster, crimini, button—would be lovely, and adding in wild mushrooms—morels, chanterelles, hen of the woods—would be divine.
This is a thoroughly satisfying vegetarian dish. The creamy, slightly sweet corn flavor of the polenta mixes with the earthy umami of the mushrooms and the rich, nutty, tangy flavor of the Parmesan. A side salad—arugula and a simple vinaigrette—turns it into a delicious dinner.
Baked Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 to 2 pounds mushrooms (see Kitchen Notes)
- olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or fresh tarragon, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 cup medium- or coarse-ground yellow cornmeal (or ground polenta—see Kitchen Notes)
- 5-1/2 to 6 cups water
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- First, roast the mushrooms. Heat your oven to 350ºF and prepare two baking sheets or hotel pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Tear the mushrooms into big pieces, toss them with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar, and place the pieces on the baking sheets—they will come out best if you can leave a bit of space around each bit of mushroom. Scatter the minced garlic and herbs around everything, then slide both sheets into the oven.
- After 10 minutes, take them out of the oven, stir everything, and put back in the oven for 10 or 15 more minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to turn golden. Take them out of the oven, scrape into a bowl, and set aside. Don’t turn off the oven!
- While the mushrooms are roasting, start the polenta. Put the water in a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet and turn on the heat. When the water starts to simmer, gradually pour in the cornmeal, whisking it into the water for two or three minutes until everything is uniform. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to precent sticking and ensure everything stays uniform, until the cornmeal is tender and thick. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil, some salt, and a hefty grating of black pepper, and stir together. Turn off the flame.
- Pour all the mushrooms on top of the polenta and spread them around evenly. Scatter 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan on top and put the skillet in the middle of the oven.
- Bake the polenta for about 15 minutes—the mushrooms should be getting browner and the polenta should be bubbling a bit at the edges. Remove from the oven. That's it—this is ready to serve. We recommend serving this at table straight from the skillet and passing more grated Parmesan. This is delicious alongside a nice arugula salad with a simple vinaigrette, and, to drink, a nice beer. Oberon Ale from Bells Brewery is a great choice with this simple, hearty dish.
- Note: This dish is best eaten fresh from the oven. Leftovers will solidify into a slab of mushroom-covered polenta. And you can reheat it and eat it that way, even coaxing a little water into it, but while still delicious, it will be a different experience.